


A Growing Trust

by Ralemalt



Series: Loving the Sea [2]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: A little bit of Middle Earth and a little bit of our Earth, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Animal Abuse, Biologist perspective, M/M, Mentions of PTSD, Mermaid Fíli, Mermaid cruelty
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-18
Updated: 2017-08-30
Packaged: 2018-09-25 09:56:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 50,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9814319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ralemalt/pseuds/Ralemalt
Summary: Kili is a young man dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of wild marine animals that come through the Erebor Aquarium. He's had the opportunity to aid all different kinds of creatures in his time there, but he finds himself a little unprepared when he meets a rare and elusive mermaid who has experienced firsthand the evilness held in the hearts of some humans. Now it's up to him to nurse the magnificent creature back to health and maybe gain his trust along the way.





	1. First Impressions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kili has met a number of different sea creatures while working at Erebor Aquarium, but now he meets a mermaid for the first time.
> 
> It's a rather painful but definitely unforgettable first impression.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This AU wouldn't leave me alone for a moment the past few days. I'm kind of making my own stuff up about mermaids, so things might clash with what you'd normally think of.
> 
> Prompt given was " **Air** " from [Goativa](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Goativa/pseuds/Goativa).

A cellphone rang loudly in the quiet room, the shrill sound scaring away an otter that happened to be swimming passed the underwater window at the exact moment.

Thorin Oakenshield reached for it without looking away from the computer screen he'd been focused on for the last hour. The computer was an ancient thing, but then again, so was Thorin in many ways. His hand hit something that was definitely not his phone, and as soon as his eyes saw the dark brown coffee spilling from the mug, he cursed and stood up so fast that he knocked his chair over. It wasn't fast enough to keep from getting soaked, but at least it wasn't hot anymore.

The phone rang again, reminding him of its annoying existence, and this time he reached between some loose and now soaked papers to pluck it from its hiding place. He flipped it open. He hadn't upgraded to one of those smart phones yet, and he was staving that time off for as long as he could. Sometimes it felt like the world was progressing too quickly for him. "Yeah?" He said into the phone.

His face shifted into an unhappy frown. He had a formidable stature, and he'd been told many times by his staff that his frown was epically intimidating. He never tried to be, but he had a stressful job. Like now. "A what?" There was an obvious tone of disbelief held in his tone, but he'd never known his staff to lie. "I'll inform Oin immediately. Arrival time?" Alert eyes swept toward the clock on the computer screen. "We'll be ready." He promised before hanging up the phone.

He left the room after that, computer work and spilled coffee completely forgotten. There were more important things to worry about.

"Oin!" He shouted even as he moved down the hallway, a corridor made of cement and light grey paint. It gave off a cold impression, but these halls were home. Half of them were supporting a tank of some sort, so they had to be strong.

He found the man in question sitting in the staff lounge, nursing a cup of tea. The room was a fair size with a rectangular table and chairs shoved underneath. There was a fridge for meals and a microwave and oven to heat them up. They'd just installed a dishwasher after years of Thorin having to listen to his staff harp about it.

"What is it?" Oin Tement asked as he sipped from his cup. He was older than Thorin was, but seemed to accept new technology more readily. His salt and pepper hair was a little skewed and he looked tired, but Thorin knew he'd been up early to visit a few of their residents.

"We have a new arrival coming. ETA in an hour." Thorin explained as he stepped through the room to come to a stop at a wall. On it hung a large white board where staff left notices and notes that were important and others that weren't. It also held a schedule of everyone's shifts. "I'll grab Kili. He can help us." Kili Durinson was one of his best employees.

"Injuries?" Oin prompted as he set down his tea and stood from his chair, easily reading the urgency in Thorin’s demeanor.

"Numerous." Thorin grunted as he turned around to look at his veterinarian. "We're looking at possibly ten feet."

"Dolphin? Seal? Another manatee?" Oin questioned even as he studied Thorin's face. There was a look in the man's eye that Oin hadn't seen before, and he didn't know what to make of it.

"No. You're never going to believe it."

***

The sound of his scrub brush against the wall of the manatee enclosure was beginning to grow hypnotic as a shirtless young brunet man continued with the task he'd started just after sunrise. The manatee enclosure wasn't normally on his rotation of duties, but since he didn't have a particular assignment to do, he'd taken up the task.

Eventually, he pulled away long enough to wipe the sweat that had collected on his forehead and scratch the tip of his itchy nose, unknowingly leaving a slight smudge of dirt and green algae behind. Deceptive brown eyes turned to look up into the sky, changing from dark to green as the sun hit them. It was only reaching mid-morning, but it was already hot, which was standard for Erebor this time of year.

The enclosure was large, but not very deep so the water had warmed with the sun. His shirt had been sticking to him and making him hotter so he'd tossed it over the side to retrieve later, but now he had to contend with his sweaty hair sticking to the back of his neck. He'd had it long at the beginning of the summer season and had thought it smart to chop it all off. It was getting shaggy now and wasn't long enough to do anything with. He missed being able to tie it up off his neck.

Something bumped into his side and almost pushed him back into the four and a half feet of water he was standing in. A smile lit up his face as he looked down to see the large manatee floating next to him. "Hey pretty girl." He rubbed the top of her head, fingers sliding across rough grey skin. She'd been named Lady, but Kili always liked to give her special attention. "Did you wake up just to supervise me?" He cooed at her, knowing how much she slept in a day. His movements through the water and the sound of his scrubbing must have roused her.

Whether she understood him or not, she bobbed her head in the water a couple of times making him laugh, the light sound easily carrying across the calm water of her enclosure.

"Thorin needs to put you on the payroll then, hm?" He sunk his hand below the surface so he could scratch at her whiskered chin and snout, making sure to touch her on the side of her body that she could feel.

She'd been struck by a boat about a year before and had suffered paralysis along one half of her body. One of the other handlers spent a couple of hours a day with her for physical therapy, but Tauriel wasn't due until later in the day.  Erebor Aquarium normally didn't house their animal guests permanently since they were a rehabilitation center, but there were a few exceptions and she was one. She had such a sweet personality and was friendly to everyone.

He felt her lips move to explore his fingers, laughing again when she made a disappointed grunting noise when she didn't find anything to eat.

"No treats right now, pretty girl. Maybe I'll swing by later and give you something. How's that?" He asked, knowing that she had plenty of food along the bottom of her enclosure that would satisfy her until he could return.

She tilted her head back to look up at him, her whiskered snout twitching just slightly as she peered at him with her one good eye, almost imploringly. There was no way anyone with a heart could stand up against such a look, and Kili faltered right away. If he'd had any of her treats on him, she surely would have gotten them all. "You manipulator." He laughed instead and rubbed her chin again. Her eye closed as she soaked up the attention.

"Kili." The voice of his boss made Kili look up and across the enclosure where Thorin stood leaning on a rail on a level that overlooked the area. The man looked rather grumpy, but Kili knew he'd been having a few stressful days.

"What's up boss?" He flashed a grin at the man even as he continued to shower Lady with affection.

"I don't pay you to flirt with the girls." Thorin's frown lifted just a little. He was a serious man, but his sense of humour was amazing once he got going.

"Have you seen this face, Thorin?" Kili leaned down so he could rest his cheek on Lady's head. She squealed happily and bumped his cheek with her nose. "There's no way I could resist."

Kili easily saw Thorin roll his eyes. "Sometimes I worry about you." The water carried the muttered comment over to Kili as clear as if it had been spoken right next to him.

"Well, you and my mother can start a club then. She thinks I need to stop playing with animals and look for an actual human relationship. I think she wants grandkids or something." Kili gave Lady one last pat before making his way through the water until he reached the older man. "Now I doubt you came all this way to interrupt my flirting." He smirked once he was standing below, reaching a hand up and grasping Thorin's when the man reached down and grabbed him. There was a perfectly good ladder to his right, but this was much more fun and Thorin always indulged him.

Despite Kili being six foot, Thorin hauled him out of the water as if he weighed nothing, but that was a perk of lifting heavy animals and supplies on a daily basis. The man was strong.

As he landed on the observation deck, water pooling at his feet, he spied his boss' shirt. "Uh...having a bad day, Thorin? You're supposed to drink your coffee, not wear it." He teased as he wrung the water from his shorts so he'd drip less.

He looked up and saw that Thorin wasn't smiling. Kili knew the different between Thorin's tired frown and Thorin actually angry, and the look on the man's face now was somewhere in between. "Thor?" Kili prompted when he realized it was concern. That shouldn't have been new considering the animals they brought in. Thorin worked hard to ensure that they saved and rehabilitated as many as they could because he cared. He was always concerned. But this seemed different somehow.

"I need your help with a new arrival." The man began. "Dwalin and his team should be here in about half an hour now." He let out a long breath, rubbing his fingers through his long hair before gripping the strands tightly, "I’m told the situation is pretty dire. Dwalin's called me a couple of times to keep us updated. The creature's pretty malnourished by the looks of him, and he's either been attacked by something or was caught in a net. Fins are gone and there's a lot of blood." He grumbled, sounding grouchy, but Kili knew it was how Thorin dealt with things when he had a lot on his mind. "He was found stranded along the coast near Lake Town. We'll know more once we get him into Oin's clinic."

"Shit." Blood was never a good thing to hear about, and Kili's heartbeat accelerated just a little more as his adrenaline kicked in. It was always like that when a new rescue came in. "How big are we talking?" His mind began to go over which tanks were available and their sizes.

"With his tail, could be up to ten feet."

Ten feet meant heavy. "Are we going to need the crane?" He wondered, automatically looking across the floor to where the modified backhoe was parked. They used it to lift the heavier creatures that came into their care. It was safer for both parties.

"There won’t be any room since we’ll have to take him directly to OIn’s medical area. They used the wheeled stretcher, and between Dwalin's team and you and me, we should be able to use the harness to carry him the rest of the way into Oin's medical bay. Oin's already got everything he needs ready."

Kili scowled in confusion, his frown almost rivalling Thorin's because of the sharp angles of his face and his darker features. "That's only six people, Thor. What the hell are we moving? A large dolphin? A small whale?" He crossed his arms and stared at the older man.

"No," Thorin replied, "A mermaid."

***

A large vehicle that could have been mistaken for a moving truck hurtled toward the Erebor Aquarium facility as fast as it could without putting anyone in danger. It’s sides were painted dark blue in the shape of a wave along both sides and bright white along the top. On the sides in green lettering, the name and phone number of the aquarium had been printed in large lettering in case people found injured sea life that needed rescuing.

Unlike other pieces of technology that Thorin used, the truck was only a year old and big enough to transport most aquatic animals. Thorin always made sure the best equipment was used when it came to the animals they brought.

Was a mermaid considered an animal? Kili wondered, barely registering the thought as it swam through his mind. He was still trying to wrap his mind around Thorin's news and hadn't been able be to process much.

A mermaid.

Kili knew very little about them aside from the fact that they were usually deep sea dwellers and always did their best to avoid humans. Unless this was a younger one who'd gotten too curious and had somehow been injured. He knew tail fins were worth a lot as some people believed they had magical properties that could cure illnesses. People would believe anything.

Kili chewed his thumbnail nervously as he waited with Thorin and Oin just outside a large bay door where the truck would drive in so they could unload. It was the closest area to Oin's medical room and that meant less moving for everyone and hopefully less stress on the mer.

As the truck got closer, everyone grew aware of a loud high pitched screeching sound, and it made Kili frown thinking there was something wrong with the vehicle. It only grew louder as Dwalin approached, and Kili had never known a vehicle to make that kind of noise. The suspension was the best money could buy, and though this mer was long, Thorin seemed sure that it wouldn't weigh much. "What's that noise?" He finally asked, looking between the two older men.

They were both focused on the incoming truck. "That would be our new guest." Thorin responded.

"They have quite the range of sounds." Oin explained when he saw Kili's eyes widen. "Be prepared to get screamed at while you help us get him into my lab. And watch out for his teeth and claws."

"I will." Kili promised, though wondered if he should have found some earplugs before now.

He didn't have time to leave his spot before the truck finally pulled up. The screeching was louder, but now Kili could tell it was coming from some kind of animal and not a machine.

Thorin directed Dwalin into the bay while Oin and Kili hurried inside to be ready when the backdoor was opened. It did so the moment the vehicle had stopped, and a young redheaded man named Gimli jumped out, quickly followed by his father Gloin. They both had matching red hair that had frizzed in the heat, or gotten messed up while loading their squirming burden. And now that the backdoor was open and no longer muffling any sound, the screeching was almost unbearable.

Kili peered into the back of the truck where a large stretcher was situated in the middle. It was long and wide enough to be able to accommodate a number of aquatic creatures, but Kili could see that it hadn't been made in mind for something like a mermaid. It was too wide to properly restrain the twisting occupant on top, and aside from the multiple straps crisscrossing along the top of the form, what looked like towels and a tarp had been wrapped around the body. The creature was completely hidden from view, though Kili could see the body thrashing within his confines as it snarled and shrieked. Usually blinding an animal would help calm it down, but apparently it didn’t work for mers. He also noted a harness that was regularly used for lifting dolphins and such laid out underneath the shifting form already. The material was smeared with a lot of blood.

Gimli saw him looking as the redhead bent down to pull a metal ramp out from beneath the truck. "Better this way." He grunted with an annoyed scowl as he secured the metal slat so they could wheel the stretcher down it. "The claws on this thing are sharp and he keeps trying to bite but we managed to restrain his arms with towels and the tarp." He muttered before he worked with his dad to detach the hooks and straps that kept the stretcher in place inside the truck.

"The stretcher's too wide to fit through our hallways." Gloin complained and Kili looked to see that the man was right. Their hallways weren't meant to have large marine creatures transported through them. If anything needed medical assistance, then Oin would normally see them in their enclosures.

"Dwalin and Thorin will take the middle when we need to lift." Gloin ordered, speaking up over the noises the creature was making. Thorin was strong, but standing next to Dwalin made him look tiny in comparison. It made sense that they'd be taking the most weight if it came to that. They were cousins but looked nothing alike what with Thorin's long hair and Dwalin's shaved and tattooed head. It was in their scowl that Kili could see the family resemblance. Not that he'd ever mention that out loud to either of them.

"Nori and I will take the back where we can attempt to control the tail." Gloin continued before turning to Kili, "You and Gimli take the front, but like my son said, you watch out for those claws. They'll shred you if he gets the chance."

Kili nodded as everyone waited for Gloin and Gimli to pull the stretcher down the ramp. Thorin and Dwalin moved in to help as it was heavy and they didn't want it going too fast.

Once everyone was in position, Oin nodded in satisfaction and turned to head toward his medical bay.

Gloin and Nori began to push from behind and that left Kili and Gimli responsible for manoeuvring the large and heavy equipment around without hitting anything. The moment they moved the stretcher, the mermaid thrashed wildly in an attempt to get free. The screeching had turned into snarls and downright howling.

"Someone's not very happy." Gimli muttered through gritted teeth as he and Kili carefully shuffled away from the truck so the others could follow.

The weight was a bit of a surprise, but then the tails of mermaids were rather long and the stretcher weighed a fair amount too. It would have been easier to move without it rocking with the creature's movements.

"This one's more ornery than Thorin is without his morning coffee." Nori snickered from the back. "And I see he's wearing it rather than drinking it today."

"Shut up before I let this mermaid scratch your eyes out." Thorin grunted from behind Kili. "If I had to ride with your ugly mug, then I'd be screaming too."

Chuckles erupted from both sides of the sling but were quickly cut off at a particularly loud growl.

They'd gone as far as they could anyway. Now it was time to lift using the harness. On either side of the material were two steel poles that could be grabbed by human hands or attached to the crane. Kili had done this before and he always took front left so he could carry with his right arm which was stronger than his left.

"Alright boys." Gloin instructed and on his count they all lifted together.

The mermaid was none too happy about being moved and amped up his efforts to get free.

It was slow progress as the creature inside twisted around and used his tail for leverage. Both Gloin and Nori almost had their poles ripped from their grasp as the mermaid's tail thrashed back and forth in an attempt to hit either one of them. Gimli and Dwalin were muttering curses under their breath the entire time.

"I thought you said he was almost dead when you found him." Thorin was speaking to Dwalin from over the harness.

"He was until we got him into this thing." Dwalin's voice was gruff in reply. The man was actually a teddy bear normally, though he was a little stressed out at the moment. "That's adrenaline for you."

"I'll have a sedative ready as soon as we get him settled." Oin broke in as they neared his medical lab, having overheard the conversation.

Kili just felt bad. Not only was the screeching painful on their ears, but it sounded painful to make too. It was growing hoarser the longer it went on. He'd never been able to listen to an animal in distress, and while he was still on the fence about how to classify a mermaid, he couldn't just stand there and do nothing.

"Hey buddy," He began as he licked his lips, ignoring the scoff from Gimli. "We're just trying to help, okay?" He kept his voice light and as calm as he could. They'd had many frightened animals come into the aquarium and talking soothingly would sometimes help. "Oin's an awesome vet, and he'll get you fixed up so you won't be in pain anymore." He promised.

"Don't waste your breath." Gimli mumbled, "I doubt he understands you. He'd probably rather eat you."

"How about you be quiet. He's calming down." Dwalin hissed lowly from behind Gimli.

Kili paused for a moment and realized Dwalin was right. The screeching had lessened now and wasn't so piercing to the eardrums. He focused on that as they finally entered the medical bay. "Almost there, buddy." He promised, seeing the table set up. It was custom made out of aquarium glass and was about half a foot deep so it could hold water that was needed for some patients. It was adjustable, and right then it took up most of the room so that Oin could check over and treat his injuries before he was placed in an enclosure.

"Carefully lift so you don't hit his head or shoulders on the edge." The vet instructed all of them. "I'm going to need him restrained. He seems like a fighter."

They all hoisted the harness higher and set the body down onto the table as gently as they could.

Just as they made a move to open the harness, a blood stained hand darted from between the folds of tarp and towels and grasped tightly around Gimli's wrist. The redhead cried out in shock which startled everyone else and they all dropped the harness. The mermaid had ripped free of some of his restraints.

Kili's first reaction was to reach across the table to help his friend out and he did so with his left hand, completely exposing his forearm.

"Kili watch his teeth!" Thorin bellowed the warning but it was too late.

The sting came right away and shot right up Kili's forearm to his shoulder. He jumped in surprise to get away but found that he couldn't move his arm. The mermaid had latched on tightly.

Looking down at the creature for the first time, Kili completely froze in shock as he came face to face with startlingly blue eyes set in a human face framed with red stained blond hair that immediately had Kili thinking of the sand and ocean along the beach of their facility. He had the same facial features as a human did even eyebrows and regular ears.

Kili had seen pictures of mermaids but had never seen one up close or in real life, and the fact that he looked so human was so surreal.

Then Kili focused on the sharp teeth in his arm. He couldn't see just how sharp they were, but he'd been bitten by animals before and he couldn't recall it stinging this much. Blood was beginning to well up from the puncture wounds and trickle down Kili's skin, but Kili hardly noticed because he was still staring at that face. Something had sliced across the bridge of the mermaid's nose and there was dark bruising and scraped skin along the left side of the creature's face. Kili looked into those watery eyes glaring at him in an attempt to be intimidating, but all Kili saw was fear. This creature was more terrified than angry and he was defending himself in the only way he could.

When the mermaid noticed he was looking, he growled low and as threateningly as he could. The blood that had gathered at the corners of his mouth began to froth with the action.

"Fuck. Kili hold on." Thorin was somewhere behind him but the sound of his voice spurred Kili into action again. He didn't want them to scare the mermaid any more than he already was.

"It's okay." He said to his boss and the other men in the room, but he kept his eyes locked on the mermaid's. He was sure he could see tears forming within the blue, making them glassy and reflective of the lights above them. "He's just frightened and acting in self-defence." He explained before smiling at the creature. The sting had become a burning sensation now and Kili's hand was going cold. "Hey buddy. You're okay. I know you're confused and afraid, but we're only trying to help you, okay?" He promised, voice a little shaky because of the pain, but he managed to work through it. He had the urge to reach out with his other hand and maybe smooth down some of that hair, but then he realized he'd probably get a few fingers bitten off if he tried.

The glare held within those blue eyes lessened just a little and adopted a more confused look to them, and Kili felt the firm grasp around his arm loosen slightly. They blinked and a tear trickled down the creature's right cheek.

"Can you understand me?" Kili had to wonder about that. It couldn't have just been his tone, could it? He would have to find out later as they had other priorities that came first. "You're really warm, buddy." Kili noticed, able to feel heat radiating off the mermaid and knowing it wasn't right. "You're really sick, and we just want to make you well again." He had no idea if the mermaid could understand him for sure, but he kept trying since it seemed to be working.

Until there was movement from behind Kili and the mermaid suddenly lurched back with a panicked squeal. His teeth dislodged from Kili's arm, blood splattering both his face and Kili's as he attempted to fling himself away in a mad scramble for safety. Sharp claws tried to grasp the lip of the table and weak arms attempted to hoist himself up, but the mermaid didn’t make it far before he collapsed. His eyes drooping as he attemped to fight off unconsciousness for as long as he could.

Kili was bewildered at the sudden change and turned around for an explanation. He found that while he'd distracted the poor creature, the others had held his tail secured to the table so that Oin could inject the sedative into the mer's side.

Thorin was suddenly beside Kili with a towel and wrapping it around his bleeding arm. Kili was still looking at the struggling mer though, and ignored his boss' enquiries about if he was okay.

Those blue eyes had managed to focus on Kili as the creature began to succumb to the drug.

"You're safe." Kili promised quietly, and watched as hooded blue eyes blinked more and more slowly until they finally fell closed and remained shut.

Only then did he allow himself to be fussed over.

***

After a trip to the nearest hospital and an express order from Thorin to go home which he completely disregarded, Kili found himself back in Oin's medical bay. It was nearing late evening, and Kili had relieved the doctor for the night after another order he wouldn't be disobeying.

"If anything changes, you call me." Oin even pointed a wrinkled finger in Kili's face. His hands had been wet and his skin had pruned. "I have my cell and I'll be sleeping in the bunker." The bunker was a room next to Thorin's office that housed two sets of bunk beds. This wasn't a job that could be left unattended so someone was always on night rotation, and sometimes the staff slept overnight or crashed after a long shift.

After explaining to Kili that he would need to wet the mer's tail every so often, Oin finally left to get some much needed rest, leaving Kili alone to watch over their newest patient.

The brunet had pulled Oin's uncomfortable office chair and situated it right beside the table the mer was stretched out in, and once he'd swiped a couple of books on mermaids from Thorin's little office library, Kili was set for the night.

He'd been sitting there for three hours already and hadn't read one word in any of the books despite having opened the first one and having it on his lap. He couldn't stop staring at the mer.

The mer had been cleaned up of both his and Kili's blood, but those tangled golden strands were still stained pink in places. In sleep, or rather unconsciousness, his features had relaxed as much as they could considering he had a fever. Occasionally his face scrunched up as though he was having a nightmare. When that happened, Kili would get up from the chair and talk to him and run water over his tail until he settled again. The brunet didn't know if he was helping at all, but he hoped so.

He looked startlingly young now that he wasn't snarling and attempting to bite anyone's hand off. He didn't look that much older than Kili.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Thorin's sudden voice made Kili jump in his seat, and his head swung toward the door where his boss was standing with a scowl on his face.

Kili's eyes dropped to his lap and the book he hadn't been reading. "Reading." He lied and gave the man a cheeky grin because he knew damn well that wasn't what Thorin meant.

The man scoffed as he stepped farther into the room, stepping up to the table where their new guest lay and grabbing the medical chart that Oin had left. "Do you ever listen to a word I say?" He sighed in exasperation as his eyes shifted to glare at Kili.

"Sorry what was that?" Kili asked and got a smack on the back of the head with the medical chart for his trouble. "Ow!" He rubbed the area, "Look, the good doctor needed to sleep or else he was going to curl up right next to our friend here." Kili motioned to the mermaid with his head, "I swear I saw him eyeing the table to see if there was room for the both of them, Thorin."

"That still doesn't explain why it's _you_ here." Thorin grumbled. "You bled almost as much as he did." He looked over the black and gold tail before grabbing the small sprayer that Kili had been using and sprayed a fine mist over the scales.

It had taken Oin three hours to clean, disinfect, and stitch up all the lacerations where fins had been lost along the tail. Not to mention the large jagged slice along the creature's right side. Now the poor thing was lying in about two inches of water, hooked up to medications to fight off the raging infection coursing through his system and fluids since he was dangerously malnourished and dehydrated. It was disheartening to see the protruding ribs and gaunt face.

Among the other IVs and wires that were monitoring his vitals, a tube had been forced into the mer's nose that delivered air directly to his lungs to give him an easier time of breathing. Kili had asked why it had been his nose and Oin had explained that the mer's teeth would have destroyed a throat tube. Kili's arm, numb thanks to his own medication, could attest to that.

Kili leaned back in his chair, "There is a mermaid lying right here. How could I be anywhere else?" He pointed out.

"Hm." Thorin grunted as he put the sprayer back, but that was all he said.

Kili sighed and slouched a little. "What do you think happened to him?" He asked quietly.

That brought forth a tired sigh. "Same thing that always happens to mermaids who get too close to the wrong kind of human. His fins weren't ripped off like they would have been if he'd been caught in a net."

"I was hoping that's all it was." But Kili wasn't delusional. He'd known what had happened the moment he'd laid eyes on the smooth knife markings. Whoever had stolen the fins had cut down right to the scales. "He looks like he's only around my age."

A chuckle escaped Thorin, "He's most likely older than I am." He commented before motioning to the book in Kili's lap. "Haven't you read anything?"

Kili flushed. "I was distracted!" He insisted before closing the book. He'd read it eventually. "So mermaids age differently?"

"Yeah. He's probably almost three times your age. Oin plans to send some tissue samples to a lab to find out for sure. He's still a young adult at any rate."

"How can you tell?"

"He doesn't have facial hair yet." Thorin pointed out, "But he's lost the gills that all juveniles have."

"They lose their gills when they get older? Mermaids grow facial hair?" Kili wasn't sure why he was surprised by that, but he was. He turned to that angelic face and tried to picture it with hair the same colour and the gold on his head. It wasn't too bad.

"I think you need to do a bit more research."

Kili already knew that. "I want this assignment, Thor."

"Why?" The older man's voice was suddenly sharper than it had been before, and Kili found himself being scowled at, Thorin's blue eyes like ice.

Kili blinked and didn't say anything for a moment. He'd seen that look and heard that tone before, but it had never been directed at him. It had only ever been directed at anyone who'd tried to come in and mess with the place or the staff. It meant Thorin was being protective, and this time he was being protective over the mermaid.

Kili was glad someone was.

"Because I want to make sure he heals." Kili stated confidently. "When I looked into his eyes today, all I saw was fear. It was heartbreaking." His eyes flicked back to the unconscious mer's face. "He needs help and I want to make sure he gets it." There was conviction in Kili's voice. "I swear I saw tears. I didn't know mermaids could cry." He knew it wouldn't be easy, but he had to at least try.

"They can." Thorin ran a hand down his face, and Kili noticed how tired he looked as well. It had been a long and tiring day. "And just like their fins, people believe they're magical too."

Kili scoffed and flopped against the back on the chair. "It's times like these I'm ashamed of being human." He mumbled as he looked back at the mer.

"But you are human, and you're a good human." Thorin relented, "Someone needs to show him that not all humans are bad."

Kili was hopeful. "Does that mean I get the assignment?"

"You realize what a commitment this is? Mermaids are not like the animals that we regularly look after."

"I practically live here anyway." Kili grinned. He knew it was probably going to be the biggest commitment in his life so far, but it was something he felt he needed to do. And he wanted to do it. "You know I got through to him. He did calm down when I spoke to him."

Thorin snorted quietly. "That's all I need. Another one who won't listen to me." Kili probably wasn't supposed to hear that part. "I'll make you a deal. If he survives, he'll be your responsibility." Thorin gave in.

"He'll survive." Kili had faith in him. "He's a fighter, remember?"

"I do." Thorin's eyes drifted to Kili's bandaged arm with a frown, but it was gone a moment later. "I have no choice anyway. Nobody else working here’s stupid enough to stick their arm out in front of a creature with sharp teeth."

"Or brave enough."

"I'm going with stupid."

"You know I'm your favourite, Thor." Kili beamed when the man rolled his eyes.

"Yeah but nobody else is supposed to know that. You included you brat." He turned toward the door. "Get some sleep when Oin comes back. The mermaid's going to be in here for a while, so you can take that time to study those books. I think you're going to find this a bigger task than you believe it to be."

"I'll take my chances." Kili had his mind set and there was no changing it now.

"We'll see whose stubbornness lasts longer. Yours or his." Thorin smirked before waving. "Good night Kili."

"Night Thorin." Kili watched him leave before turning back to look at the mer, getting up from his chair and standing over the table. "Hear that buddy? You definitely have to get better. There's a lot we need to learn from each other, okay?"

The only respond Kili received was a flicker of golden eyelashes that matched the hair. But he didn't mind. Smiling to himself, Kili returned to the chair and settled in for a long night by opening the book he'd been holding.

He had a lot of research to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [my tumblr](http://mylittledragonhoard.tumblr.com/)


	2. Fili

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mer is slowly starving to death, and it's hard being the only one clinging to hope that he'll survive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know these things were covered in the first fic, but I really wanted to write them out too! Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Prompt was " **Name** "

The sudden quiet was what brought Thorin out of the deep concentration it took when it came to the facility's paperwork.  It was tedious and boring and the part Thorin hated the most about being the owner and boss. Numbers swam before his eyes and slowly faded as he turned toward the door of his office, leaning back in his chair to stretch muscles he hadn't used in a couple of hours and to see if he could see anything from the hall.

There was nothing of interest, but that's not where the sound had been coming from for the last few days anyway. He sighed and straightened the chair, rubbing a hand down his face in an attempt wipe the wariness he'd been feeling for the last while away.

A nervous tension hung over the aquarium that effected the residents and the staff, and it was getting worse every day that passed that the mermaid they'd brought in went without eating.

He'd spent a little more than a week in Oin's medical bay while his infected wounds slowly healed, only able to be misted so that his scales and skin didn't dry or crack. He'd been getting nutrients intravenously then, which had granted him a little more time, but Oin couldn't very well keep him that way forever.

The slices along his tail where his fins once were had healed surprisingly well, but the laceration running down his right side had been aggravated and the stitches broken when Oin had allowed the mer to wake from his sedative state to get a better read on his vitals. The mer had predictably freaked out, lashing out at anything he could, and it had taken both Thorin and Kili to hold him down. Luckily he was still groggy and uncoordinated.

Oin had gotten caught by those claws as had Kili before another sedative could be administered. Thankfully neither injury was very deep and wouldn't scar in the future, unlike the teeth marks embedded in Kili's left arm from when the mer had caught it between his jaws. 

The mer's new - hopefully - temporary home wasn't very big, but he couldn't be kept out of the water any longer, and until Oin deemed his patient well enough for a larger and deeper enclosure, it would have to do. It was an observation tank connected to the medical bay, which freed up his ward once more. The veterinarian was getting frustrated with having Kili constantly under foot as the brunet sat by his patient and read book after book on mermaids. Once he'd run out of physical things to read, he had turned to the internet and would constantly be staring at his phone when he wasn't asking Oin questions or talking to the unconscious creature. Thorin found Oin's annoyance rather amusing, but he definitely wasn't going to let Oin know that.

There was a fair sized viewing window in the wall between the tank and medical bay so that Oin could see how things were going from an underwater prospective, and that way Kili could get out of his space and sit on the observation platform on the roof of the medical ward to watch over the mer instead of constantly stealing Oin's desk chair.

Because the sedative had still been in his system, it had been like releasing a sleepy toddler complete with disgruntled complaining and half-hearted glares that would have been downright scathing had he not been drugged to the gills he no longer had. Instead they were actually rather endearing and caused both Tauriel and Ori to coo and squeal at him.

Clearly having enough of humans, the mer had retreated to the farthest corner of the tank with a flick of his tail where he'd curled up to sleep it off.

When he refused to be drawn away from the corner a day after, and then a day after that, Thorin had noted Kili growing a little tense despite the young man's reassurances that he wasn't worried. They'd all seen it before with new residents coming into a new and strange environment, refusing to eat until they settled down a little.

Oin had also reassured him that it was normal behaviour, and the vet was sure that the mer would grow hungry enough on his own to seek out food.

Hope had been high for the first few days, but by now it was clear that something was wrong. Physically the mer was fine; Oin had reassured him he'd gone over everything, but the creature still refused to eat. He barely moved from the corner he'd planted himself in. This wasn't unheard of and was actually typical behaviour for captive mers, but knowing that didn't make it any easier to bear.

Everyone in the facility wanted the mer to survive, and it was hard on everyone to watch such a beautiful creature waste away to nothing after suffering so much already. But it was hardest on Kili.

When he'd given Kili the assignment, Thorin hadn't realized just how much heart the young man would put into it so quickly. He'd barely gone home, hell, he'd barely left the medical ward before the mer had been released, and now he spent all his time by the tank either reading or just talking to the creature.

Thorin had gotten used to hearing his voice filtering into his office since the tank was close by, and the sudden silence was unnerving. With a sigh and a slight feeling of apprehension, he pushed out of his chair and stretched until his back gave a satisfying pop before making his way out of his office and down the hall. He was stalling a little, half expecting to find out that the mermaid had finally given up. As sad as it was, he was used to this kind of thing happening in his many years doing this job, but he knew Kili wasn't and that's what was going to break Thorin's heart.

His name was called out as he passed the medical ward, and he stopped and looked inside where Oin was sitting at his desk. The room looked bigger without the mer and Kili taking up room.

"He's not up there anymore." Oin explained without looking up from whatever it was he was writing on. "Tauriel dragged him over to visit Lady for a break. She alway manages to put a smile on his face."

Thorin smiled slightly as he entered the ward, "Lady or Tauriel?"

Oin hummed as he took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. They were all tired these days. "It might just take both of them at the moment." He admitted before turning around so that he could see through the observation window.

Thorin moved away from the door so that he could also see inside the tank. The view was disheartening to say the least. The mer was in his ususal corner, farthest from the window. Sometimes he'd stretch out along the wall, but other times, like now, he'd be curled up in the smallest form possible. His back was facing the two men, showing off the few scars he'd accumulated within his life. None of them had been fresh when he'd been brought in, so they were assumed to be from regular life living in the ocean.

"Hasn't moved in a couple of hours." Oin said before Thorin could ask. "As far as I can tell he should have been dead by now." The veterinarian muttered, making Thorin turn to him in surprise. "He was already malnourished and severely underweight when he got here, and considering his fins had only recently been cut off, I can only guess that he was kept somewhere for a while."

Thorin frowned at hearing this news. "Normally they're brought inland though, so they have no chance of escaping back into the ocean. He was found washed up on a beach."

"It's just speculation," Oin shrugged, "But greedy people can live near the oceans too. Perhaps when they realized he was dying, as mers in captivity tend to do, they decided to make some profit and sold him to a poacher." The vet smirked then and gave Thorin a smug look, "But our boy's intelligent and a fighter and managed to escape somehow. My best guess would be that he put those teeth to good use."

There had been bruising along the mer's face, as if someone had taken a fist to him. Thorin could easily see the mer having latched on to some vital body part and refusing to let go until he was literally beaten off. He was ashamed to admit that the thought of having to do something similar had crossed his mind when he'd witnessed those teeth locked around Kili's arm. Luckily, Thorin could control his baser instinct.

The smug look melted away and was replaced by a deep regret. "The diet of the mermaid isn't well documented because they're such a secretive lot. Kili has gone through book after book and scoured the internet for any information he can find, but so far anything listed as part of their diet has been rejected or impossible to catch." Oin motioned toward the tank. "He won't even look at dead fish and the live ones are too quick for him."

Thorin could see what looked like three small herring gathered near the observation window and far away from the mer. "Dead fish probably mean diseased or something wrong to him." Thorin pointed out.

"True." Oin agreed, "But he's too slow for live ones. He tried catching these three for a while, but eventually he lost the energy and the motivation." He turned back to his desk so he didn't have to see the desolate creature. "Tauriel and Ori want to name him."

"Oh?" Thorin was surprised that Kili hadn't been the one to mention it sooner.

Oin nodded but he didn't look happy about it. "They think it'll mean more to Kili if he can remember his mer as an individual instead of just a creature he couldn't save."

Thorin could see the point behind that idea, and though he didn’t want to think of what that would do to Kili, it was becoming more of a possibility every day. "Maybe that's a good idea."

"I thought so." Oin turned to Thorin, a serious expression on his face. "You need to talk to Kili, Thorin. As much as I don't want to say this, it doesn't look like this mer is going to survive. His tail is starting to lose its colour and his skin gets paler by the day. I know how much Kili was looking forward to helping him, but we've done all we can. He looks up to you and he respects you. He might have an easier time accepting it if he hears it from you."

Thorin scoffed. The last thing he wanted to do was have this talk with Kili. "Regardless of who it comes from, Kili will have a problem accepting this." He took a deep breath, "But I'll talk to him." He nodded, but he'd do it his way.

***

"That's a good girl, Lady!" Tauriel praised the manatee and slipped her a little treat after she'd managed to manoeuvre around her obstacle. The gentle creature was still moving in the same counter clockwise path as before, but now she was beginning to recognise that if she shifted sooner, she could change her path just a little.

"I suppose I should give your obstacle a treat too, hm?" She cooed to the manatee, scratching her whiskered chin as vibrant green eyes shifted to look at said obstacle.

Kili rolled his eyes upon hearing that comment, but it was his only reaction. He didn't feel like bantering with anyone right now. He didn't feel like doing much of anything except going back to the mer’s tank.

He heard her sigh and watched as she planted a big smooch on Lady's head. "I don't think we're distracting him very well, Lady." She whispered loud enough for him to hear before standing up straight and making her way over to where he stood in the water. Her eyes were worried though she tried to hide it behind a kind smile, bringing her hand up to sweep away the bright red bangs that refused to stay in the pony tail she'd tied the rest of her hair up in. "Maybe you should go home and sleep. Your actual home and not the bunker."

Within the last week, Kili had only gone home to shower and to occasionally eat something, staying either by the observation tank or crashing in one of the bunks when he couldn't keep his eyes open any longer. He was riddled with anxiety and constant fear that if he were to leave, he'd come back to find the mer had died without him there. He was also filled with guilt every time he put food in his mouth, and he knew that it was a useless thought. He shouldn't stop eating just because the mermaid refused to, but the guilt ate at him nonetheless. She'd always had observation skills that Kili could only dream of possessing, so it wasn’t surprising that she’d noticed.

"I'm good." He finally responded to her suggestion, "I want to look through a few books this afternoon and see if I can find something else that might help." Never mind the fact that he'd read the same books over and over so many times that he practically had them memorized, and there was nothing in them that he hadn't already tried twice.

Tauriel's brow pinched for a moment and her lips pursed together so hard that they turned white. Kili had known her for a long time and he could read her thoughts from her expression. She wanted to talk some sense into him, though by her clenched fist, perhaps she wanted to beat it into him instead. She did neither and he watched as she physically reigned herself in, forcing that well known redheaded temper back to spare him. "Maybe." She said instead of what she truly wanted to say, "You never know."

He was being humoured, and he was hurting enough that he didn't care. While he was fearful of the mer dying, the rest of the staff was just waiting. They were still upset by it, but they'd accepted that it was inevitable. Kili hadn't accepted anything.

"I wish you'd smile again, Kili." Tauriel sighed as she turned to watch Lady make another around, scooping up the plants that she's managed to swim over. "Even the animals feel when you're upset."

"I'll smile when the mer eats something."

Tauriel did nothing for a moment, but then Kili found himself suddenly held in an embrace and being squeezed tighter than he normally would have been. "If you need to talk, you know I'll listen." She invited.

Before he could tell her that there was nothing to talk about, the sound of his name drew his attention away from her sympathy and to his boss standing by the ladder. Kili's heart automatically lurched sickeningly inside his chest as thoughts as to why Thorin would be there specifically looking for him raced through his mind.

Tauriel pulled away at the same time and they both looked up at him.

Thorin didn't look like he was about to deliver the devastating news Kili had been dreading, and for a moment he felt a flash of annoyance at the same sympathetic look on Thorin's face that Tauriel had, but he knew it wasn't worth the hassle to call the man out on it. He understood they were worried, but they were worrying about the wrong being.

"I'm taking you home." Thorin voiced, leaving no room for argument.

Of course Kili argued anyway. "I'm good, but thanks. I drove myself here anyway."

"Two days ago." Thorin scowled and crossed his arms. With his already imposing features combined with the rather impressive beard he'd allowed to grow simply because it was easier than trimming it, he was a little intimidating. "I have some errands to run closer in town so I can drop you off. As your boss I'm ordering you to shower, maybe take a nap, and eat something." Those eyes narrowed at him, "I know damn well you don't eat while you're here. I don't need _you_ not eating either. So you have ten minutes to get your ass in my truck."

That actually made Kili's lips twitch upward into an almost smile. "My soaking wet ass?"

"I've had a seal ride shotgun, a little water isn't going to hurt anything. And we'll drive with the windows down to counter the smell."

Kili allowed himself to react the way he knew they wanted him to. He huffed out an offended breath and was about to respond to the comment, but then something happened that he wasn't expecting. There was a pressure against his side and the next thing he knew he was inhaling water.

He sat up sputtering and wiping water from his face, glaring at the grey culprit who'd made another lap around her tank. "Are you telling me I need a bath?" He hauled himself to his feet again, eyes narrowing at Tauriel as she tried to hide her laughter.

Seeing his glare caused her to erupt, giggling freely. "I think Lady's saying you should go with Thorin." Tauriel insisted as she shooed Kili away.

Clearly he was being ganged up on, and it felt nice to forget about his worries for a moment. They were back full force with that thought and he turned back to Thorin. "This isn't your way of breaking the news that the mer's gone to me gently, is it?" He asked suspiciously because that is something Thorin would do; take Kili away from people to give him his privacy.

Thorin shook his head, "He's still hanging in there. You can check before we leave. You now have seven minutes."

Kili snorted as he dragged himself through the water, using the ladder instead of his preferred method of climbing out of the tank via Air-Thorin. "I hope your truck stinks for months." He muttered as he squeezed water out of his clothes.

"It still stinks from the last time you were in it." Thorin bantered back the way they always did, "I've gotten used to the stench." He winked at Kili before clapping him on the shoulder. "I've got to stick a few things in the back of it. There's a package you can grab from Oin and check on your mer at the same time." With that he turned around and walked away. "Five minutes!"

Kili frowned, "He's not my mer." He shook his head before glancing back at Tauriel and Lady. "Guess I'll see you later."

"Much later." Those green eyes caught the sun, which made her stern look all the more intense.

Kili made his way down into the hallways beneath the observation area, heading to the medical bay. He'd spent most of his time above water, only able to see the dark figure from up top. He was actually a little apprehensive to see the mer through the glass. It made denial that much harder when one saw a better picture.

"Ah, Kili. Tauriel chase you away?" Oin greeted him good naturedly. The vet was at his desk, writing on something before beginning to tape it to a box.

"Something like that." Kili admitted as he plodded over to the observation window and forced himself to peek in. He deflated a little, leaning his hands on a small ledge. The mer looked worse than when they'd brought him in. Kili's hand unconsciously slid down his left arm and rubbed over the healing marks those teeth had left. At least the creature had had more life then. But he was still alive, so not all hope was gone.

"Hang on, buddy. We'll figure something out." He whispered as he leaned his forehead against the cool glass.

Pale blue eyes stared back at him calmly from inside the tank before blinking closed and not opening again.

Kili sucked in a deep breath before turning back to the vet, "Thorin said you have a package?"

"Right here." Oin tapped the box he'd just been taping. "Frozen blood and tissue samples."

That made Kili curious. "From the mer?" 

"Mm hm. I took them while he was sedated and you were sitting in my chair snoring." Oin seemed to read his mind, "Things have slowed down enough now that someone can run them to the main lab. They'll be tested for age, but also to evaluate how his organs are functioning, and any diseases he may have."

"Do you think they might be able to tell why he won't eat?" Kili was hopeful.

Oin's expression said it all, "Even if I put a rush on it, we wouldn't get results for several weeks, Kili." He kept his voice gentle.

The mer would starve to death long before then. This was obviously for medical research more than it was for aiding the ill creature. "Well, we'll figure it out without it then." Kili insisted.

"I hope you do." Oin said, but Kili could detect his doubt. He'd given up too. Even the veterinarian had given up. Oin picked the box up and handed it to Kili, "Now get this to Thorin. When you boys return, he'll still be here." The older man promised as he motioned toward the tank with his head.

Kili took the box, face neutral. He didn't bother saying anything on his way out.

Thorin was already waiting for him in the small employee parking area, leaning against an old Chevy that was definitely older than Kili. It was a two-toned blue, regular cab four-by-four beast that was surprisingly dependable for her age.

Kili was sulking as he approached with the box in hand. "Why can't I just drive myself home?"

A dark eyebrow rose as Thorin looked at him with such an unimpressed expression that Kili had to fight the urge to squirm. "One, because I don't trust you to drive. I don't think you've slept much in the last week. And two, I don't trust you to go home."

"Ouch, Thor. That's a lot of distrust. It breaks my heart to hear that my favourite person in this whole world doesn't trust me."

That got him an eye roll and a hand nudging him to the passenger side. "Not with your health. You're going to burn out and then you won't be a help to anyone." Thorin expressed as he opened the door and got in. The old metal of the truck squealed with the movement, but it gave a solid slam when the door closed.

Kili climbed into his seat, setting the box on the floor between his feet before buckling up. "You're not just going to drop me off and then not come back, right? Because I'll just take a cab back." He wasn't sure if it was a promise or a threat, but Kili wasn't fooling around.

Thorin sighed and gripped the wheel as he started the engine. It roared loudly for a moment before calming to a pleasant hum. "As much as I want you to get a good night's sleep, I wouldn't do that to you." He promised before putting the truck in gear and backing up. "But I'm going to be gone for a few hours. You'd do well to squeeze a nap in during that time. If you're still asleep when I come to pick you up, I'll wake you."

"Swear it to me." Kili couldn't help but feel distrustful. He knew he wasn't taking care of himself properly, but he had other priorities that were more important. Thorin, on the other hand, had to look out for his employees first and foremost.

"I solemnly swear that I will come get you after my errands and I will bring you back to the aquarium." Thorin dutifully recited as they pulled away from the building and turned onto the road leading to the highway that would take them into the heart of the city.

"Thank you." Kili could trust Thorin's word despite all his misgivings.

Kili's apartment was downtown in a large, but quiet complex. The apartment itself was on the small size, but perfect for Kili who barely spent any time there. One bedroom, one bathroom, a full kitchen attached to the living room, and a room for storage had been his home since he'd moved out of his mother's place. He was one of the youngest tenants, but his landlady had always treated him fairly and had kind of adopted him like a grandmother would.

Once Thorin had sped off to do his errands, Kili made his way up to his floor, attempting to focus on what he needed to do without any intruding thoughts.

Of course, something as simple as taking a shower made him think of the aquatic creature, but he managed to clean up without incident. And maybe Thorin had had a point about bathing considering he pulled at least three strands of plant material out of his hair. That wasn't something the man would ever find out about.

Forgoing food because he probably didn't have anything edible, the brunet decided that he'd try to get a little sleep in before Thorin returned. With all the thoughts and emotions churning around inside him, he didn't expect to really be able to, but instead, he was out minutes after hitting the pillow.

***

He was woken sometime later by a loud knocking, and he slowly came awake, blinking up at the intruder standing in his doorway knocking on the frame.

"Should I let you sleep longer?" Thorin's voice jolted Kili back to reality and he remembered why he was even home and why Thorin was there.

"No." Kili sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"You didn't answer your phone after three calls, and I knew you'd never forgive me if I left without you, so I used your spare key." Thorin replied as he disappeared from view. Kili had made sure that both Thorin and Tauriel had a spare key to his place in case he lost his own. This came after his keys had fallen into a tank and had been mistaken as a shiny toy by a couple of otters. His landlady had had a heyday listening to that explanation on why he needed a new set.

"You'd be right." Kili huffed as he got up and stretched.

"Come and eat. Then we can go." Thorin's voice came from the kitchen.

"Did you go shopping for me?" Kili stumbled out of his room, still not quite as coordinated as usual. Tauriel would probably argue he wasn't usually coordinated either.

"I picked up enough for a meal. Which I'm to make sure you actually eat." There was a rather large sub sandwich on a plate already waiting for Kili on the table. "Both Oin and Tauriel demanded it. Your milk went bad, by the way, so I chucked it."

Kili made a face as he picked the plate up, his stomach grumbling loudly at even the sight of the food. He really hadn't been eating properly. "I don't like milk anyway. I don't know why I buy it." He admitted before taking a giant bite, groaning at the taste.

Thorin looked half amused and half frustrated as he leaned back against Kili's counter. No, Kili wasn't sure how that expression was even possible, but of course Thorin could pull it off. "You're going to be eating regularly from now on. I don't know what made you think starving yourself was going to help the situation any." He scolded with a frown.

Kili swallowed his mouthful. "It wasn't that. Every time I go to eat something I just feel so fucking _guilty_." He complained before frowning as the familiar feeling swelled up in his chest. He couldn't put the sandwich down though, not with Thorin there.

"I understand that, but you need to take care of yourself first. You passing out because of exhaustion or hunger will only make things worse." Thorin looked regretful, "If you do this again, I may have to look into suspension."

"What?" Kili's eyes went wide.

"I need to make sure my staff is safe when they're on the job, Kili. What if you passed out and fell into a tank? Not only do we have creatures that could potentially eat you, but you could drown. You guys are family, so watching one of you suffer like this is difficult on everyone." Thorin reminded him. 

Kili guiltily took another bite of the sub, mostly so he didn't have to say anything in response. He did eventually mumble an apology.

"Don't apologize, just stop being dumb." Thorin instructed. "Your mother would kill me if I let anything happen to you." He muttered the last part.

That got Kili to grin. Thorin and his mom went way back. "I can't promise that. It's part of my charm."

Thorin scoffed loudly as he chuckled. "Charm. Sure. We'll call it that."

Kili took the mature route and stuck his tongue out. "Can we go? I'll eat in the truck, and I promise not to make a mess." He glanced down at the table, "I want to get back."

Sighing and looking like he wanted to refuse, Thorin relented instead. "Yeah, come on. I have crates of fish sitting in the bed of my truck."

The drive back seemed to take forever, and Kili finished his sandwich within the first ten minutes, so he didn't have much to occupy his time with. He chatted with Thorin about what errands he'd had to run which had included dropping the box off for Oin, picking up their regular order of food from the fish market, paying a few bills, and food shopping for an annoying employee.

"I didn't realize you went shopping for Tauriel too." Kili replied cheekily, "She better thank you."

Teasing Thorin and getting teased in returned was nice, and Kili's thoughts didn't stray as easily now that he'd gotten some sleep. He could actually call the ride pleasant.

At least until they were parked and Kili tried to leave the vehicle.

"Kili wait." Thorin drew him back, and it was the tone in his voice that made Kili's defenses slam up. It told the brunet all he needed to know about what Thorin wanted to say.

"Don't bother." He snapped as he crossed his arms, throwing himself back against the seat. He wouldn't normally ever speak to Thorin like that, but he was _hurting_. "I already know what you're going to say, and I don't want to hear it." He growled through clenched teeth.

"Kili-"

"No, Thorin!" Kili turned his head to glare at the man. He could see how hard this was on Thorin too, but at that very moment the anger and desperation consuming Kili were the only things he felt. He'd appreciate Thorin's seemingly limitless patience and understanding later.

A heavy silence filled the truck before Thorin let out an even heavier sigh as he leaned back in his seat. "Oin believes he was held captive by someone wanting to keep him as a pet."

Kili wasn't sure what to say to that, so he said nothing and continued stewing in his emotions. News like that wasn't particularly surprising. It was rare nowadays, but not completely unheard of. It made Kili angry that someone had done that to _this_ mer.

Thorin didn't need him to say anything. "You know they don’t last since they all just seem to give up on life in captivity. He's too thin to have just been injured so recently." His frown was obvious in his tone, but Kili refused to turn so he could see it, having focused his glare on the latch to the glove compartment. "Oin figures the people sold him for his fins when they realized he wouldn't survive."

Kili's fingers tightened in the material of his shirt at the cruel thought, and the glove compartment latch blurred from the tears beginning to gather in his eyes. He'd read multiple pages about how mermaids could die from a broken heart, and that was why nobody could keep them in captivity for very long. Whether it was true or not, there was nothing else to explain all the deaths. The mer was technically in captivity now. Was this him giving up on life? All Kili wanted to do was help him. 

"Maybe he's waiting to die, Kili." Thorin spoke quietly and gently.

But it only made Kili's anger flare wildly. "Fuck that!" He shouted at the man before grabbing the door handle and scrambling out. His foot got caught on the seat belt and he almost tripped, but he managed to straighten himself. He could see a few of the staff members nearby and could plainly see Tauriel's hair in the sun, but he didn't care if anyone saw him freaking out. They needed to understand that he wasn't going to give up.

So their presence didn't stop him from whirling around and glaring at their boss, "I can't believe that!" He shouted angrily, "He wouldn't have fought against us so hard if he was just going to give up and die now!" He clenched his fists at his sides, nails digging into his palms. "He wouldn't have fought to escape the assholes that cut his fins off!" The images of the bleeding and frightened mer had been haunting Kili since the day they brought him in, and now they returned. His tears fell but he didn't acknowledge them as he stared at Thorin, almost pleading. He took a deep breath to try and calm himself because Thorin wasn't the bad guy and Kili knew he didn't have the right to be yelling at him. "As long as he's still alive, I won't give up on him." He said, calmer than he was before. "I can't, Thorin." He shook his head before fleeing away from the truck, heading into the establishment.

***

The sun was just beginning to set when Kili's radio crackled to life. Every staff member carried one so that they didn't have to use an intercom that might startle the residents or hunt someone down when they were needed. Kili's had been sitting next to a cement support wall since yesterday. He was actually surprised the batteries were still working, but the sound of it made him want to chuck the thing into one of the tanks. He didn't want to speak to anyone.

He glanced down into the tank, spotting the mer still huddled up in his usual corner. He hadn't moved since Kili had sat down.

"Kili. Can you come to the staff room, please?" It was Tauriel's voice, which surprised him as he'd been expecting Thorin's.

A sliver of him was curious as to what they wanted, but he was mostly suspicious and worried he'd get another talk like the one Thorin had tried to give him. He didn't think he could handle another person telling him to let go.

"Kiiiili." The radio crackled again as she sang through the speaker. "Pick up your radio."

He sighed and gave in, yanking it from its position. "I'm busy." He muttered before releasing the button so she could respond.

"Yeah, busy sulking. I saw you five minutes ago and you probably haven't moved an inch."

"I moved to pick up the stupid radio." Kili retorted mockingly.

"Just get your surly ass down here before I come drag you down here kicking and screaming." She growled, apparently having had enough of his attitude.

He groaned and forced himself to his feet, clicking the radio where it belonged along his belt before casting one last look at the mer. "I'd toss her in if I thought you'd eat her." He muttered as way of parting, heading down to the break room.

When he got there, he found most of the staff inside, and he couldn't help but feel even more suspicious when they all turned to face him as one. Making an unhappy noise, he stepped inside and crossed his arms in a last ditch effort to defend himself. "Are we having a staff meeting?" He kept his tone light.

"We were overdue." Tauriel shrugged before holding out a few pieces of paper in his direction.

"What are those?" He asked without moving his hands.

She rolled her eyes and shook the papers. "Just read them." She sighed impatiently.

Reluctantly, Kili reached out and took the papers from her, figuring this was a suspension notice or something. It would be a dick move to do in front of everyone, but Kili couldn't argue that Thorn had every right to fire him let alone suspend him.

Hazel eyes narrowed in puzzlement as he read over what appeared to be a medical record and some sort of documentation. The documentation was familiar as every animal they housed required it as well as medical history. He read the name of the animal these were for and his confusion grew. "Fili?" He read it out loud before focusing on the sheet before him.

It stated that he was the primary handler, and that the animal in question was permanent to the facility for now. It wasn't until Kili flipped the page and found himself staring at a sedated mermaid lying on Oin's medical table that he finally clued in.

He looked up at Tauriel and Ori who'd stepped closer. "You named him Fili?" He asked, ignoring the way his voice cracked on the mermaid’s new name. "Why? Naming animals makes it easier to get attached." And it was so similar to Kili’s name.

Ori snorted, "Kili, everybody can see that you're already attached. Name or no name." He said before his expression shifted to regret. "Tauriel and I wanted to give him a name so you'd have something to remember him with." He admitted shamefully, "But we were wrong."

Tauriel took over then, "You were right. He wouldn't have fought against us or even dragged himself out of the ocean if he hadn't wanted to survive." She admitted, revealing the fact that they had heard Kili yelling at their boss, "He's a _fighter_ , and you're his biggest supporter, hence his name." She smiled.

"And we're all with you, lad." Dwalin spoke up then from behind Tauriel and Ori. "If you're not giving up on that giant fish, then we're not going to give up either."

Kili teared up before he registered how much his eyes were burning, Fili's new name blurring on the page. "I...I don't know what to say."

"I'd like to hear a promise that you'll take better care of yourself from now on." Thorin spoke, "That means eating and sleeping regularly. Even if it's not at home." He added, seeming to sense that Kili would continue to spend most of his time near the mer.

_Fili_ , he reminded himself as his eyes glanced down at the name printed in blue. It was Tauriel's handwriting. Somehow, seeing that name renewed his hope that the situation would work out.

"I can promise that." Kili managed a slightly quivering smile, and before he knew it he was enveloped in a hug.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really want to thank everyone for their lovely comments regarding this AU as well as my other fics. Your comments and Kudos are amazing, and I realize I've never acknowledged them before. I always get so excited/nervous when posting that I never know what to say in the authors notes. They are all much appreciated, so thank you!


	3. An Accidental Solution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The staff's final and desperate attempt to get the mer to eat has failed, and now he's fading faster than before. All hope is lost.
> 
> Or is it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so floored by the response to this AU. Thank you guys for taking the time to read, comment, and/or give Kudos.
> 
> I had a few issues with ending this chapter because it just did not want to end.
> 
> Prompt for this chapter was " **East** " by Goativa.

The screeching and growling coming from the observation tank as Oin and his volunteer helpers attempted an act of desperation had passed the level of unbearable the moment it had started.

Thorin stood in the doorway of the staff room to use his large form to block the way in case it was necessary. He glanced back at the table where both Tauriel and Kili sat, Kili's hands covering his ears as he literally huddled in his chair. It was hard seeing him look so small and forlorn and being helpless to stop it. Kili had always had such a large presence with an even bigger grin and an infectious laugh that made you join in no matter how you felt. Sure, things got to him, but he always bounded back rather quickly.

But this…this was _horrible_.

He was quiet and withdrawn and still. It didn't look like Kili was about to get up and go see what was happening any time soon, and Thorin was relieved that the young man hadn’t fought more to help. He never would have been able to handle being in the thick of things.

Tauriel had come in earlier specifically to be there for Kili and was leaning against him in support, wincing every time the noises grew higher in pitch. She had barely looked awake when she’d arrived, but she’d given Kili a grin and then pulled him into the staff room demanding that he make her coffee.

Thorin sighed and leaned back against the door frame and closed his tired eyes to rest for a moment. Considering how the day had ended on such a high note the day before, this was a major blow to the staff's morale.

The morning had started bad before it had even truly begun. Thorin had gotten an emergency call at 3 a.m. from Nori who was on the night rotation for the week. There were always two employees on during the night, though for the last little while Kili and Oin technically made four. The mer had taken a turn for the worse and Thorin had been ordered by his employee to get his ass to the aquarium so he could talk down a hysterical Kili.

The regularly half hour drive took him fifteen minutes and he could barely remember getting into his truck. He was thankful that it had been too early for any traffic and he hadn't been stopped by any law enforcement.

Nori had exaggerated a little since Kili wasn't hysterical when he arrived, but the young man was barely keeping it together all the same. It turned out that the mer - _Fili_ now - had started to have difficulty breathing during the night and Oin had been worried that his internal organs were beginning to shut down. They all felt it was a miracle he'd lasted as long as he had without food, though they only had an estimate of how long that had been based on his malnourished condition upon being brought in.

When the episode seemed to finally pass, Oin made the executive decision as the facility's veterinarian that they'd try to force some food and medication into the mer. It wasn't an easy choice to make because it put extra stress on any creature, but they had run out of options and it would only be a matter of time before it would be too late to do anything at all.

Thorin had seen how torn Kili was with the decision, but the brunet had kept quiet. That had lasted until Oin had ordered him to stay in the staff room while they did the feeding. Kili had predictably objected, wanting to help.

"You'll be seen as the bad guy." Oin had argued. "He'll never trust you if you aid in helping us. You've read all the books, Kili. Mermaids are similar to crows in the way that they remember faces and hold grudges against those who they believe have wronged them." As a vet Oin was used to being the bad guy.

Realizing that Oin was right, Kili had backed down, but he hadn't been happy about it.

At 5 a.m. when the other staff began to arrive, Oin had begun to get everything ready. Ori had assisted with getting a mixture of food, medication, and electrolytes ready while Dwalin and Nori worked on figuring out how to use the harness and the best way to restrain the mer. They'd never had to force feed before let alone force feed something with arms like a human that could reach out and injure them. They had to find the safest way for all involved.

Thorin was elected to stay with Kili, both for support and to make sure he actually stayed away. Oin wasn't sure how much of a fight the mer would put up, but they were all well acquainted with his noises of protest. The vet didn't want the noises drawing Kili out and into view.

They'd been listening to those noises for about an hour now, and Thorin was sure that Fili was living up to his name and fighting them with everything he had left.

Just when it felt like something was about to snap, there was a sudden splash and the silence that followed seemed almost louder than the noises they'd been hearing.

Kili looked up and both he and Tauriel turned to look at Thorin at the same time. Their anxiety was almost palpable, but before Thorin had the chance to reassure them that everything was probably fine, Ori appeared at the end of the hall, dripping water and red in the face.

"Oin asks you to meet him in the medical ward in a few minutes." The young man made an unhappy face, "I have to change. Kili's mermaid doesn't like me."

"What happened?" Kili asked upon hearing his name, his chair making a scraping sound as he quickly pushed away from the table and came to the door. He noticed that Ori was soaking.

"A lot of splashing, even more growling, he almost bit Dwalin and Oin. I got pulled in and fished out." Ori shrugged before motioning back toward the medical ward. "If you want more details than that, best ask Oin."

Kili wasted no time and disappeared down the hall before Ori had even finished speaking.

"Thank you, Ori." Thorin said for the overeager brunet, "And I'm sure Kili's thankful too."

Ori gave Thorin a smile, not put off by Kili’s rushed behaviour at all, "Oh, I know he is. But he hasn't been able to focus on anything else but his mermaid. I get it." Truth be told, he got like that with his penguins.

By the time Thorin stepped into the ward, a wet Oin was already there attempting to dry his hair with a towel. Both Kili and Tauriel were standing by the observation window, staring inside at the mer who looked very displeased at the whole ordeal.

Somehow, Fili had managed to make himself look smaller than normal as he huddled against the far wall across from the window. His eyes were wide and held a desperately wild look in them. Even from where he stood Thorin could see that thin and pale chest heave from the exertion and fear he’d just been subjected to. He refused to look toward the window as he pressed his body into the corner of the tank, but any sudden moment, like Tauriel moving an arm to squeeze Kili’s shoulder, his lips would draw away from those sharp teeth in an angry snarl.

"We managed to get him to swallow a little of the food before he destroyed the apparatus Dwalin and Nori constructed, and as you can see, he is not a happy camper right now." Oin stepped up to the window, and it was impossible to miss the mer turn and fix an icy glare on the vet and suddenly bare sharp teeth.

"Can't blame him." Kili admitted, and Thorin silently agreed.

"I'm actually surprised by the strength he still possesses, which is a good sign." Oin explained once he'd finished drying his salt and pepper hair. It stuck up rather wildly now, but the man didn't seem to care or even notice. "I'm hoping we bought him a little more time before we find something he'll eat because I don't think we'll be able to do that again. It's too stressful for him." The veterinarian frowned then, "At this point I'll just be happy to have anything edible in his system."

"Like what?" Kili half turned to look at the vet. "We've practically tried everything in the entire ocean that we've been able to get our hands on." He looked back at the glaring mermaid. Those blue eyes, reflecting the sun from above the water, were shifting between everyone at the window, and the mer was growing more agitated by the minute.

Thorin stepped back so he was no longer in view, and Oin did the same. Tauriel nudged Kili and they both turned around so that the creature didn't feel intimidated by the attention.

"Perhaps we should be looking at other options than what the ocean has to offer us." Oin mused, "Obviously we've gotten nowhere so far. We're desperate now." He stepped over to his desk and picked up a few pages he'd printed earlier, "There are a few I thought we should try." He handed them each a page.

Thorin looked down at the list of fish and crustaceans. Most were freshwater but some were adaptable. "And you want to try a live feed, I'm assuming." He was a little apprehensive about those with claws.

"Dead fish don't appeal to him at all, which tells us something about mermaids or about this one in general."

"What's that?" Kili, always eager to learn more about the species, asked immediately.

"Either they aren't scavengers like some researchers believe, or Fili is just a picky eater."

Tauriel snorted at that. "He's already picked up one of Kili's bad habits. What's next?" She teased which helped to lighten the atmosphere a little more.

Kili elbowed her in retaliation, "I'm not even that picky." He scoffed before looking down at the list, biting hi lip before finally asking, "Can I go out and get some of these then? I'll pay for them myself. I know we already picked up our food supply for the week.” He looked at Thorin.

"You and I will go." Thorin wasn't about to let Kili do that no matter how responsible the young man felt.

"Like right now?" Kili asked, hopeful and practically bouncing on his feet now that they had something else to try, something that might finally work.

Seeing that hope back was refreshing, and Thorin couldn’t help but smile. "Let me just grab my keys."

***

Over the next three days they tried every creature on the list that they could get their hands on. Some of the creatures were hard to come by and the staff had to reach out to new suppliers for their requests. Having run the aquarium for so long, Thorin had made a lot of connections within the community, and he was always happy to make some more.

And over the next three days every fish and crustacean was rejected again and again as the mer continued his refusal to eat, not even acknowledging them.

When the blackness of his tail began to fade to a sickly grey, it looked like even Kili was finally losing hope.

***

Red rimmed eyes that reflected green from the sun glinting off the surface of the water stared into the depths silently. Kili didn't know how long he'd been sitting on the observation platform above the mer's tank, but it had been long enough for his frustrated tears to abate and dry. He was too exhausted and drained to think anymore, mind almost blissfully numb. He probably would have been a little thankful for the reprieve if he had been capable of feeling anything in that moment besides desolation and despair.

He was getting rather used to disappointing mornings recently, but walking in half way through Oin's conversation about marine body transportation and disposal to someone over the phone had been devastating.

He'd fled the room before the vet could say anything, not that there was anything left to say. Oin had been trying just as hard as Kili had been to get the mer to eat, but despite it all, their efforts had failed.

Kili needed to accept the fact that he couldn't save everyone, but it was a hard fact to swallow. This mermaid was the first Kili had come in contact with, and he was intelligent and hurt, and he deserved a chance at survival.

Kili sniffled and shifted a little, his ass having grown numb from sitting on the cement for so long. He swallowed around the lump that was perpetually caught in his throat these days before remembering the water bottle he’d brought with him this time. It was packed away in a backpack he’d brought to work with him that morning, stuffed with a few things from home. Some clean clothes, another uniform, some food he'd packed because Thorin was demanding he eat, some toiletries, and a few more books he'd come across. It didn't look like he'd need to spend another night at the aquarium for a while though.

That thought brought on a fresh wave of tears even though Kili had been sure he hadn't had anymore to shed. He grabbed the bottle from where it sat on top of everything, but when he pulled, it caught a part of the strap of the bag, toppling everything over. "Shit." He reached for the bag so it didn't drop down into the tank and get soaked, managing to save everything except for a container that slipped out of his lunch bag.

The clear plastic bounced against his foot where his legs dangled over the edge of the platform. The lid separated from the container on impact, spewing green grapes everywhere. They floated along the top being less dense than the salt water, but the container sank as it filled with water. He'd have to get it once the tank was empty if it didn't float back up on its own.

Forgetting about the bottle, Kili sighed as he pushed his bag back. "We've only wanted to help you, you know." He murmured to the water, not even sure if the mer beneath could hear him or even understand him. It had seemed like he had the first day, but now Kili wasn't so sure. The mer hadn't reacted to him any other time and he'd sat in this very spot for days talking to him.

"You must think humans are monsters if you think dying is the better option." The brunet continued, closing his eyes against the burn growing within them. "We're not. At least, not all of us are. You seem to have run into some of the worst." He frowned, wishing he knew what the mer had been through. They could only speculate but they'd never know for sure.

"We don’t keep you guys here if you can be released. None of you are pets or things to be _used_. We help you heal and get better, and then we release anyone who can be back into the wild. You all deserve to be home where you belong.” He breathed out slowly. “There are some that stay because they wouldn’t survive in the wild, but they’re taken care of here and they’re kept safe and happy. Oin thinks you’d end up staying, and I know it wouldn't have been life in the ocean, but we would have tried to make it the best life you could have had."

He sniffled again. “Lady would like you." That managed to cause a half smile to grow across Kili's face. "You both have an attitude." Despite his best effort, a tear trickled from the corner of his eye and he wiped it away with his hand.

The tears wouldn't stop and Kili had to bite his lip to keep a desperate sob inside. He was so focused on muffling his pitiful noises that he didn't notice the shape slowly coming to the surface and the slow movement of water.

Something smacked him in the stomach, his eyes flying open in surprise only to look down in confusion. "What?"

The plastic container that had fallen into the water was sitting in his lap.

He raised his head only to find a pair of tired grey eyes staring at him from the middle of the tank, and Kili remember with a pang of sadness the vivid blue from before. The mer was submerged from the nose down, but this was the most he'd surfaced on his own the entire time he'd been there.

Kili quickly wiped away his tears as he picked up the container and held it up. "What?" He croaked at the creature, "All it took was littering to get you to respond?" He frowned as he set the container aside, "Are you going to throw the grapes at me too?" He wondered even as his eyes scanned the surface for the little green circles that had been bobbing in the water.

But he couldn't see any.

"What the hell?" Kili was confused for a long moment before a thought startled him and he focused on the mer again, "Did you-" He cut himself off because it seemed like an utterly ridiculous idea. Mermaids were carnivores. They had the teeth and claws for catching and tearing into tough skin or thick blubber. "No." He shook his head in denial, but even as he said it, his heart gave a hopeful leap inside his chest. "Did you eat these?" His voice was quivering as he asked, a new set of tears gathering in his eyes, but from a very different emotion than before.

Of course the mermaid - _Fili_ \- didn't answer, simply tilted his head, eyes flicking between Kili's face and the empty container he held in his hand.

"No." Kili insisted again. It couldn't have been that easy, could it? "Grapes must sink." He wasn't sure if he was explaining to the mermaid or attempting to convince himself.

But Kili wasn't stupid and had passed all of his science classes with top marks for his degree. He knew they hadn't sunk.

The brunet gripped the container and scrambled to his feet. His mind was telling him the truth, but his heart refused to believe it until he saw proof. There had just been too many moments of hope that had been crushed regarding this mermaid, and he needed to see the truth for himself.

Without a word to the mer, Kili turned and raced to the stairs that would take him below to the main level of the building. He barely touched the stairs as he flew down them, and he had to brace his hands out to stop himself from smashing into the large observation window looking into the mer's tank.

His original intention fled his mind as his eyes widened in awe at the sight before him.

Fili was still at the surface, giving Kili the first good look at him within his element. The tank was less than six feet deep and maybe twenty feet on all sides, so the long six foot tail had enough room to completely stretch out from his torso length wise, but it dipped down so that the fluke was hovering just a hair's width from the bottom of the tank. His injuries were pale and stood out against the greying scales, the gold trim having dulled to a sick yellow. Kili could still see the black stitches that Oin had painstakingly made where the fins had been severed, a little surprised that the creature hadn't torn them out with his recent struggle while being force fed.

His ribs were protruding and his skin looked shockingly white with the reflection of the sun above. With the angle, Kili could just make out wisps of that once golden hair. Like the rest of him, it had dulled significantly too.

Kili squeezed the container still in his hand as he remembered why he'd rushed down here, and he searched the water almost frantically.

There were no grapes anywhere to be seen.

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me." The breath whooshed out of him as he realized what this meant. Fili had eaten them.

He'd _eaten_ them!

Relief and joy bubbled up inside Kili, spilling out his eyes in the form of tears and from his throat in the form of laughter.

The sound echoed around the quiet ward and Kili had to sit down before his legs gave out on him. When he looked back up through the window, he realized his laughter had drawn the mer's attention and Fili was looking at him curiously.

"You ate them." Kili didn't know why he had to say it out loud, but it brought another wave of relief and a grin so wide it hurt his face, "You're probably still hungry since you haven't curled up and gone back to sleep, aren’t you?" He got up again at the thought, knowing Thorin had started keeping food in the staff room as an incentive for Kili to eat. Kili was sure he’d noticed fruits and vegetables among the options and with any luck there would be grapes. They were due a little bit of luck by now, weren’t they? "I'll be right back!" He promised before leaving the lab as quickly as he could. He couldn't run down here since there were sharp turns.

He found Oin and Thorin sitting at the table in the staff room. They both looked glum and utterly miserable as they sat in silence, though both men grew a little wary when they looked up to see Kili panting with eyes bright and wet with tears. They probably thought he'd come to tell them that the mer was gone.

Instead, he spotted the innocent green fruit sitting in a glass bowl in front of Thorin. The man had been picking at them, but luckily he hadn't eaten them all. "I need these." Kili gasped out as he crossed the room and grabbed the bowl, heart pounding so loudly in his chest that they must have been able to hear it too.

Before Thorin could respond, Kili turned to Oin, "I don't think you'll need anyone to pick up a body anymore." His face broke into a giant grin again even as he turned to leave and go back to the tank. He probably looked like a lunatic.

"Kili, what the hell?" Thorin's exclamation caused him to stop in the doorway.

Kili only laughed, excited beyond belief, "Apparently mermaids like grapes." He offered, "Come to the tank and you'll see! But come from the east side so he won't see you. I don’t want to chance scaring him away with too many people watching him.” With that said, Kili continued on his way.

Fili wasn't at the surface when he returned, but the brunet refused to feel apprehensive about it right away. He plunked himself down in his usual spot and tore a grape from the bunch he'd taken. It made a hollow plunking sound when it hit the water and disappeared beneath for a moment. The green sphere only bobbed once before pale fingers wrapped around it from below and it disappeared for good.

Kili felt like getting up and dancing, but he didn't want to startle the mer.

A head surfaced, still only visible from the eyes and up.

"You really like these, don't you?" Kili spoke, grinning at the creature. He was giddy - the mer was actually interacting with him! "Here you go." He tossed another one into the tank.

It landed a few feet away so the mer had to move a little to grab it, but he did and the grape disappeared beneath the surface and into his mouth. Kili didn't want to make him move and expel energy he desperately needed, so he tried tossing them closer without hitting the mer.

Thorin and Oin appeared just as Kili threw the third grape. He was going to stop soon, not wanting to overfeed the starving creature and make him sick. He tossed one more so that the older men could see that the mer was eating them on his own before setting the bowl aside.

Fili made an unhappy noise, low pitched and close to a growl. It was a little odd to hear something besides the usual screeching or snarling.

"You can have more in a while. You'll get sick if you eat too much." Kili promised, wanting to give him more but knowing it wasn't a good idea. "Just be patient, okay?"

Those eyes narrowed a little, and Kili could easily read the annoyance in them. Instead of making another noise, Fili completely disappeared beneath the surface and didn't surface again. The brunet wasn't worried, assuming that he'd come back when given more food.

His eyes flicked up at the stunned expressions on Thorin's and Oin's faces. "I told you." He didn't care that he sounded proud; he _was_ proud the mermaid had finally eaten something.

"You did." Thorin managed as both he and Oin looked at each other. They spoke between themselves for a few moments before Oin turned and disappeared, most likely to his lab. Thorin walked over to Kili's side of the tank.

Kili had just stood up again when he found himself being pulled into a tight hug. He hadn't even realized how badly he was shaking until he was pressed into Thorin's solid and stable embrace. "Does this mean he's going to survive?" Kili's words were muffled in Thorin's shoulder, but the man heard him clearly.

"He has more of a chance now than he had before." Thorin's chuckle vibrated against Kili's chest, and it had been so long since anyone had laughed around here that the sound of it made Kili's eyes burn again. He ducked his head so that Thorin's shirt would soak up any tears. A hand gently rubbed up across his shoulders, "And it's because you refused to give up on him. You saved him, be proud of that because I sure as hell am."

Kili sniffled without meaning to and suddenly the tears wouldn't stop. It was embarrassing, especially when he felt Thorin's arms tighten as the man realized what was happening. At least it was only Thorin; the man had caught Kili in more embarrassing situations than this. "I don't know why I keep crying." Kili mumbled. He wasn’t usually a crier, so today was a new record.

"Because you're run down. You've barely slept and barely eaten. You've been stressed and worried for the past week and a half, and now all this relief is probably shocking your system a little. I'm surprised you're not more of a blubbering mess." Thorin admitted but he sounded more amused than anything. Amused and a little teary eyed himself.

And sure enough, when Kili pulled away to look Thorin had tears in his eye too. Kili chuckled and wiped his own face, “One of us needs to be stable here, Thor.”

“I think we’re both due for a little emotional release after everything.” Thorin concluded as he looked Kili over properly.

Kili felt like a mess but didn't try to hide it. Thorin didn't look all that better after all. He looked like he’d aged ten years alone was and more haggard than Kili had ever seen him. The man wasn't vain but had always kept up with his appearance, and right now his beard was in desperate need of attention before it went rogue and completely took over his face.

"You look like you’re about to crash, so I’m ordering you to take a blood nap, but I think it can wait until we get back." His boss decided as if Kili had been about to turn in now of all times.

Kili's brow furrowed in confusion as he actually registered what Thorin had just said, "Back from where?" Exhausted or not, there was no way he was leaving now that Fili had finally started to eat something. Once they were sure he could handle the grapes, he could have more.

"The closest grocery store that sells grapes, apparently." Thorin smiled, and his eyes twinkled in a way Kili had never seen them shine before, and it dawned on the brunet just how worried the older man had been. This was joyful relief that Thorin was showing.

"He can't just live off grapes though." Kili pointed out, brows crinkling in worry once more. "He's supposed to be a carnivore."

"No, he can't but it's a start." A large hand reached out and patted Kili's shoulder. "Oin says he's going to try injecting vitamins and protein into them to see if that helps." Thorin said as he turned to head toward the parking lot. That must have been what he and Oin had been talking about only moments ago. "Start with grapes for now since he seems to like them; then you try something else. Who says they can't eat both? It's never been well documented since they all stop eating when captive."

Thorin had a point. Kili had read so many books about mermaids, but none had ever truly documented their diet. Because the species lived so deep in the ocean, their eating habits had never truly been observed. Their diet had mostly been based off of what kind of fish they’d gotten caught with in fishing nets and what species had been found within the stomachs of those that didn’t survive. Fili would be the first documented case of any mer eating in captivity, and - fingers crossed - the first to survive.

The panic that came when reality suddenly caught up with Kili caught him off guard. "Thor." He practically froze as they reached Thorin's truck, eyes wide and mouth dry. "We have a fucking _mermaid_." _Nobody_ had been able to keep a mermaid alive, and now it was suddenly _Kili’s_ responsibility to keep this one that way. The thought was terrifying, intimidating, and exciting all at the same time.

Thorin threw his head back and laughed at the rather ridiculous observation. He clapped Kili on the back, not seeing the expression on his face, "I'm glad you've caught up with the rest of us. Now get in before you start telling me that water is wet and the sky is blue. And you're going to get some god damned sleep when we get back, you're beginning to slip."

Kili's heart lurched in his chest, "No, Thor, you don't understand." He felt too many emotions to just pick one, but his tone sounded terrified, "You gave _me_ this responsibility. What if I mess up? What if he ends up dying anyway? I mean, the grapes were completely accidental! I have no idea what I'm doing."

Thorin frowned as he leaned against the truck door, seeing that Kili was serious. "You're not going to mess up." He promised but it didn't make Kili feel better, "All that anyone can ask is that you try your best, and everyone knows you will." Thorin reassured with a slight grin, "and you'll still have the rest of the staff to help you. We're not just going to throw you to the sharks. Or mers in this case. You'll be fine."

The brunet managed to take a deep breath and it calmed him a little so that he could at least think straight. Thorin was right, of course. He usually was about work related things. He practically had a lifetime of experience to draw wisdom from, and Kili appreciated his willingness to share.

"Besides," The older man began as he moved around to his side of the truck to get in, "you're the only one that's gotten more of a reaction out of him than snarling and screeching."

"I think you've forgotten he bit me." Kili needlessly reminded the man, holding up his arm even as he opened the truck door and got in. The mer had left perfect teeth marks on the inside and outside of Kili's forearm. They were scabbed over now and healing nicely, but they had been deep and would definitely scar.

Thorin smirked as he got in the driver's seat and started the motor. If he chuckled - which Kili was ninety percent sure he had - it was lost underneath the roar of the truck. "That's what you get when you practically shove your arm into a mouth full of sharp teeth. You're lucky he didn't take off part of your arm."

Kili was well aware of that, but he didn't think it was luck that had kept him from acquiring more of an injury. Luck was all about _chance_. The mer was intelligent, and in spite of his panic had made the _choice_ not to do more damage.

"Stop worrying about it." Thorin's amused tone brought him out of his thoughts, and he looked over at the man. He was grinning, and Kili really couldn't help but return it with his own. "You honestly care about his wellbeing. I trust you above anyone else when it comes to this mermaid." His boss shifted in his seat before grabbing the gear shift and moving it into reverse so they could leave. "Now let's go so we can come back. Fili will probably want more food soon."

Kili nodded, beaming upon hearing the name of the mer being said by someone. He'd been thinking of it, but he hadn't said it much out loud. Now it looked like they'd be using it quite regularly, and it was the best feeling at that moment. "You're the one behind the wheel, Grandpa. I could have been half way to a store by now." Kili huffed out a breath as he leaned back against the seat, buckling himself in.

It was comfortable and even calming to fall back into the familiar banter.

Thorin's eyes widened and he snorted loudly, "Grandpa?!" He sputtered for a moment as he gripped the wheel, "You youth today have no respect!" Even as he said it, there was a happy gleam in his eye.

And as they headed toward a store to buy _grapes_ of all things, a feeling settled over Kili, and he felt something within him relax for the first time in a long time. Fili eating was a major step, and only the beginning of what Kili was sure would be a bumpy road, but even so, it felt like everything would be alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [my tumblr](http://mylittledragonhoard.tumblr.com)


	4. Don't Bite the Hand That Feeds You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mermaid has taken to all the fruit he's tried so far. What could possibly go wrong with apples?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I struggled with this chapter, and I've edited it quite a few times so I hope it's finally post-worthy! 
> 
> Thank you for all your wonderful comments and kudos!
> 
> Prompt for this chapter was **"Fruit"**. How could it not be?

The whiteboard in the staff room read “ _RASPBERRIES WERE A HIT ONCE FILI GOT OVER THE SOURNESS”_ in Kili’s familiar capitalized lettering. Underneath and printed a little smaller was “ _KIND OF REMINDS ME OF GIMLI’S CONSTANTLY CONSTIPATED EXPRESSION. EXCEPT THE MERMAID IS CUTE!_ ” complete with a cheeky winking face.

Thorin snorted in amusement as he sipped from the cup of coffee he’d just made. The message showed Kili’s obvious excitement over the improvement of the mermaid’s progress and it was an added treat to go along with his caffeine.

“Gimli is going to have a sea cow when he sees that.” Oin mentioned casually from where he sat at the table already savouring his own cup as he flipped through a newspaper someone had brought in that morning.

Thorin was of the opinion that Gimli could have a dozen sea cows and it wouldn’t have mattered at that particular moment. Things were getting back to normal and everyone working at the facility could breathe again. The constantly pinched and worried expression Kili had been wearing for the last little while had been replaced by his regular and welcomed wide toothy grin. Things were right again.

The man hummed into the steaming liquid as he almost absentmindedly said, “We’ll just put it in the tank with Lady.”

That startled a laugh out of the older veterinarian. “Sometimes I forget you have a sense of humour.” He was almost gleeful with this reminder.

Thorin turned and joined him, sinking into his chair and reveling in the fact that he wasn’t feeling utterly drained of all energy for the first time in what felt like forever. “Good.” He pretended to grumble, “I wouldn’t want my staff to think they’re allowed to have fun around here or anything.” He leaned back in his chair, deep frown purposely in place.

Oin scoffed at his attempt and wasn’t fooled for a moment. “I think your staff has too much fun some days. It’s more refreshing than working in a stuffy vet clinic.” He wrinkled his nose. “It’s a relief you talked me into this venture. I don’t regret a moment of it.”

Thorin chuckled and looked at his long-time friend and colleague. “I stole you away from your own practice.” Granted, he’d known the good animal doctor had not been happy at the time and had desperately needed a change. When Thorin had offered him the chance at one, he’d jumped on it immediately.

Oin grunted, “As I said: not one regret. Not even having to go back to school to get the new degree for marine animals. There’s something more fulfilling about helping these creatures heal and returning them to the wild than I ever got in my own practice.” He assured Thorin, though the other man didn’t need it. He knew Oin was happy where he was now.

“Speaking of healing, how’s the mermaid?” He asked as if he didn’t already know. He received regular updates on the steps of Fili’s progress no matter how small from Kili. The young brunet practically burst with joy and excitement every time something happened and he needed to tell _someone_ before he really did explode. Thorin honestly loved it. He motioned to the whiteboard, “How many fruit does that make now?”

“Three.” Oin recalled. He and Kili had been collaborating on Fili’s food intake together the last two weeks. They’d decided that introducing something new to Fili’s diet every few days was best. That way Oin could observe how the mermaid reacted to it. This was rather new territory since until two weeks ago the world had been under the impression that mermaids were strictly carnivores, and neither Oin nor Kili wanted to feed the mer something that would make him sick. “Grapes, bananas, and now raspberries, though the grapes remain the favourite. Only green ones. He’s not as enthusiastic about red.” The doctor rolled his eyes at the pickiness of the mermaid.

“And they’re not affecting him negatively?”

Oin shook his head, “We’ve observed him with every new introduction, and he doesn’t seem to have a problem digesting anything yet.” The corners of his mouth curled down just a little, “I was worried about refeeding syndrome the first week, but we were careful not to shock his system with too many calories at once, which was easy to do with grapes. I have hope that his progress will continue as smoothly as it has been as long as he decides to keep eating.”

Thorin hoped for that too. Nobody wanted to go through the hell of watching the mer starve to death again. “I’ve noticed he’s gained a little weight.” Any time he was in the lab, Thorin would peek through the observation window, though the mer was usually asleep or at the surface. Fili was still much too thin, but his ribs weren’t showing as sharply as before, and to everyone’s relief, he was gaining his colour back.

Oin nodded proudly at their achievement, “I can’t say how much exactly as I don’t want to have to weigh him now that he’s finally eating.” Weighing him would have required the use of the crane and an attempt to get him into a harness again. After the attempt at forcing feeding him, Fili showed actual hostility toward those who had been involved, and though Kili was working hard to gain his trust, it was clear he had a long way to go. “It would just be putting him into another stressful situation, and I’m fearful that he’d just stop eating again. Until he’s farther along in his recovery, I don’t want to chance setting him back.” He huffed out a sigh before looking at Thorin, eyes sharp and annoyance clear on his face, “I’m not worried about his weight since he’s gained a fair bit of strength now.”

He didn’t have to explain what he meant by that because Thorin already knew. He picked up his coffee so he could take a sip but also so Oin wouldn’t be able to see the smirk that crossed his face from behind the mug. Their mermaid did not like their veterinarian at all, and while he was hostile to most others, he made his disdain for the vet quite clear at every given opportunity. Aside from the constant glaring and baring of his teeth whenever Oin was in view, Fili had begun knocking his tail against the observation window at random times. Thorin could only assume the mer was trying to startle the vet while he went about his job, and the resounding thud of that tail was loud enough to do that.

“I knew that mermaids were stubborn and moody, but I never would have suspected they could be so cantankerous and vengeful.” Oin ran a hand through his hair as he mumbled under his breath, “I can’t wait to get him out of that blasted tank and far away from my lab.” He grumbled, but his annoyance wasn’t completely real. Fili being a pest meant he had the energy to do it.

“Before he has the strength to break the glass and flood you out.” Thorin’s eyes glinted in amusement.

“You’d find me on the table because he’d probably still try to go for my ankles.” Oin bemoaned which made Thorin laugh out loud.

Before Thorin could say anything in reply, their attention as drawn to the boots thudding into the room and the sudden annoyed curse as Gimli stood there reading the whiteboard with a glare, “Damn it Kili!”

***

A hand holding four raspberries was held just above the water as Kili precariously perched on the tank’s safety ladder and leaned forward into the tank, his tight grip on one side of the ladder was the only thing keeping him from falling right in. It would have been so much easier to get into the water like he could with Lady, but nobody thought that was a good idea yet. They had no way of knowing if the mer would attack or not, and the tank was just too small for a lower platform as it hadn’t been built to house anyone for long. Even using the ladder this way probably wasn’t really safe, but that wasn’t going to stop Kili.

“Come on, Fili.” He coaxed gently, or tried to. “They’re all yours, just take them.” He grinned sheepishly when the mermaid’s expression shifted into one of confusion that Kili was growing familiar with. “That’s what we’ve decided to call you, remember?” He reminded the creature, and not for the first time. Maybe the mer was just trying to convey his dislike for the name or something.

“I know it’s probably not as cool as your actual name,” Kili assumed he had one but couldn’t communicate it, “But we have to call you something. Fili’s cool too though, right?”

That earned Kili another look of confusion and a slight tilting of a head from the figure floating in the middle of the tank.

Sighing as he stood up and climbed out of the tank, Kili settled down next to a container of raspberries and grapes he’d brought up with him to feed the mer from. Normally he’d use a small waterproof snack bag that they used for other residents, but he thought it was better for Fili to be able to see the food.

His plan was to slowly gain enough trust so that Fili wasn’t afraid of his touch or his close proximity. So far things hadn’t gone very well, but Kili only had himself to blame. He was using raspberries in an attempt to coax Fili closer now, but his first attempt had been with grapes, and the mermaid’s enthusiasm for the green fruit had startled the brunet. He had flinched when those teeth had snapped at him and his sudden movements had frightened the mer. Now Fili wouldn’t come near him no matter what he held in his hand and would only eat the fruit if it was floating in the water.

Kili didn’t blame the creature and knew he’d just have to be more patient. If he’d gone through what Fili had, he wouldn’t trust humans either, and at least the mer seemed to tolerate him more than any other.

“Alright Fili, I guess we aren’t at that stage in our relationship yet.” Kili gave the mer a smile before tossing the raspberries he’d been holding in the water. It wouldn’t do to withhold food from him or get upset. They would have to work at the mermaid’s pace and Kili was fine with that. “We’ll just keep working on it.” He promised, keeping his voice friendly and happy. It wasn’t something Kili had to fake as his joy and relief that the mer was actually eating and getting better was enough to keep Kili on Cloud Nine for a while.

The berries landed in the water a few feet in front of the mer, and as Kili watched, Fili moved the short distance so that he could snatch the fruit and stuff them into his mouth. The red juice from the berries stained his lips and tongue, and the sight reminded Kili of the way his blood had done the same.

He scratched absently at the healed bite marks in his left arm. The newly healed skin was a light pink colour and stood out against the rest of his tanned skin. He’d managed to hide the injury from his mother so far, but he knew she’d eventually see them. He was not looking forward to that day.

He tossed a few more of the berries, and then a couple of Fili’s special grapes into the water. They were still wary about how much Fili was eating, but Kili was following the strict measurements Oin had decided on. So far stuffing the grapes with vitamins and things seemed to be making up for what Fili was lacking by only eating fruit, and Kili noted with a smile of satisfaction that Fili’s tail had darkened from grey and the yellow had started brightening back to gold. The colours were starting to turn more vibrant than when Fili had been brought in, which only told Kili he’d been suffering for a long while.

It was easy to see that if Fili kept getting better his tail was going to be magnificently beautiful, but even so, it made Kili sad when he caught sight of one of the scars and remembered what the mer had lost. Kili worried about how losing his fins would affect the mer once Fili was healed more. Kili really didn’t know what to compare fins to; perhaps it was like losing toes. They were still limbs that Fili no longer had and surely he’d have to deal with that eventually. There was little anyone could do about it, but it was still a thought that lingered in the back of Kili’s mind.

The raspberries floating in the water disappeared before the grapes, and a thought made Kili grin, “Are you saving the best for last?” He wondered as he continued watching, just as he’d been doing since Fili had started eating.

There was little anyone could do medically to help Fili’s recovery now, aside from waiting until he healed naturally. As his handler, and one of the few humans the mer would allow near his tank without showing aggression, it was Kili’s job to observe him and take note of anything that wasn’t the typical mermaid behaviour that had already been recorded in past research. So far there hadn’t been much to observe as Fili was mostly just eating and sleeping, though he was beginning to spend more time at the surface rather than along the bottom of the tank. Whether this had anything to do with his ability to see Oin when he was under the water, Kili had yet to figure out.

Healing or not, Fili seemed to have enough energy to exact the occasional spiteful bout of revenge on the poor veterinarian. The mer’s dislike of the vet made Kili extremely glad that he had been talked out of helping them with the force feeding because he’d probably be on the end of the mer’s wrath too.

At his question, the mer paused in his movements of shoving a grape into his mouth. Those blue eyes – blue once more and not the lifeless grey that they’d faded to before – flicked up at Kili as a wrinkle formed between his eyebrows to show his confusion at Kili’s words. It was almost the same look he gave Kili whenever his name was said, though this time it was more calculating than confused. It almost seemed like he was trying to make sense of it.

Kili had been wondering how much of the language Fili understood. Sometimes it was as though the mer was actively listening as though he understood perfectly, while other times he seemed confused and struggled to understand, like when Kili had explained to the mer how the name _Fili_ had come about, or whenever Kili used human slang. And then there were times when Kili was completely ignored and the mer did whatever he wanted as though the human wasn’t even there.

If he did understand the language, Kili wanted to know how he’d learned it or if it was something mermaids already knew.

For now Fili was keeping tight lipped about his secrets, and instead of anything forthcoming, that grape disappeared inside his mouth and he reached out for another one floating close by.

Kili smiled to himself as he watched the creature lazily move through the water as he gathered the fruit one at a time.

A crackle from behind him caused the brunet to reach around his back and unclip his radio from his belt. “Kili.” The voice of their vet sounded a little static-y, but that was usual since he was standing below surrounded by metal equipment and cement.

“Oin.” Kili’s smile shifted into a wicked grin as he noticed Fili’s eyes narrow at the sound of the man’s voice. The creature looked around for the human in question and scowled when he couldn’t see him. “If you could see the death glare you’re getting right now…it puts my mother to shame.” He wanted to laugh but stifled it in case he startled, or worse, _offended_ Fili.

“He can glare at me all he wants.” Oin muttered making his annoyance clear. “He’ll thank me one day, the ungrateful brat.”

Kili wasn’t so sure about that. Fili seemed pretty damn set in his ways, and mermaids weren’t really known for forgiveness. “One day.” Kili agreed anyway, “Something I can do for you?” He waited for a moment and the next time Oin spoke, his voice was quieter since he was aware that Fili could hear him.

“I want to get a look at his injuries. Do you still have fruit with you?”

Kilis eyes fell to the container at his side. “Yep. I’ll see what I can do.” He promised before replacing the radio and grabbing the container, holding it where Fili could see it. “We still got some left.” The brunet said as he tossed a couple of grapes in, one close to Fili and another just above where the observation window was.

As Fili moved to grab them, Kili got up to distract. With Fili’s attention divided between the fruit and Kili’s location around his tank, he wouldn’t think of Oin down below.

As Kili moved around the edges of the tank, the fruits were tossed strategically so that Fili had to turn in the water and reveal every side of him to the observation window beneath. “Here’s another raspberry.” Kili tossed it in so that Fili would have to face his back toward the window. “I think we should try apples next.” The brunet suggested, “I bet you’ll love those. Everybody loves apples.”

There was a crackle and his radio came to life again, “I want to see his right flank. He’s hiding it from me.”

“Of course he is.” Kili murmured softly to himself. This wasn’t new. Fili was protective over the deep injury that marked up his right side. It ran from his ribs and a fair distance down his tail, and the mermaid wasn’t keen on showing it. “Hey Fili, just a few more.” He shook the container and tossed a couple more so that Fili’s right side should have been exposed to the window.

Fili seemed to cooperate easily enough, but he kept an eye on Kili the entire time.

Satisfied, Kili tossed the few berries that were left into the water in no specific location. If Oin needed to see more, he’d have to wait until Fili’s next feeding. “I’ll have a banana for you next time.” Kili promised as he watched the mer, “The yellow thing with the funny skin, remember?”

The peel had been as much of a fascination as the banana itself, and Fili had stared in open curiosity as Kili had peeled the fruit in front of him. He wondered if the mer would remember how to get at the soft fruit himself and decided he’d have to throw one in and see.

“I need to go see your evil nemesis now.” Kili explained as he walked back to where he’d started and grabbed a notebook he carried around with to jot down his observations. He looked back into the tank and saw that Fili hadn’t just disappeared beneath the surface to sleep like he usually did after eating. “I’m glad you’re feeling better buddy.” He’d have to mention it to Oin. “I’ll be back later!” He promised with a wave.

Oin had a file open and spread out along his desk as he wrote something down. The files were familiar and Kili noticed the picture of Lady so knew it was her file. He could see Fili’s own file sitting right under it, so Oin was most likely just updating things.

The brunet leaned against the doorframe under the shiny silver name plate reading _Dr._ _Tement_. “I feel like I need a disguise coming to see you so Fili doesn’t think I’m cohorting with the enemy.” Even if he technically was. “How does it feel to be the most hated man in this aquarium?” Kili grinned mischievously as he pushed away from the frame and approached the desk.

Oin snorted as he pushed his glasses back up from where they’d fallen down his nose. “As long as he’s alive to hate me, I’ll think of it as a job well done.” He muttered grumpily, but Kili knew better. Oin was a huge softy, especially when it came to his patients. Even the most difficult ones.

Kili completely agreed with the statement. “So did you see what you needed to see?” He wondered as he peered inside the tank across from them. Fili was still hovering at the surface while his tail dropped down into view. His right arm was being kept close to his side, protecting his injury as he always did.

“Not completely.” The vet admitted, “But what I can see looks a little red. The injury is probably itching now that it’s healing, and it looks as though he’s been scratching at it.”

He sounded a little grim, so Kili was instantly alerted. “Should we be worried?” He asked a little hesitantly. He had been hoping that their problems were behind them, but he should have known better than to think they were in the clear just yet. It had only been two weeks that Fili had been eating regularly after all, and he was still healing. There were still plenty of chances where things could go wrong.

“Not yet.” Oin assured him, “I’m going to try to feed him some antibiotics through his food to see if that helps. If worse comes to worse and that wound becomes infected again, we may have to bring him back in here until it clears up.”

Kili knew that that would be a last resort, and he certainly hoped it never came to that. They were learning just how sensitive mermaids in captivity were, any disruption could cause Fili’s health to decline. “I’ll bring you some of the fruit for his next feeding.” Kili promised.

“Good lad.” Oin nodded as he finished writing in Lady’s file. He closed it and set it aside to be filed back in his patient filing cabinet. He opened Fili’s file next and began to write on a piece of paper they’d already started to make notes on about Fili’s diet. “Raspberries successful.” He said out loud as he scribbled. “We’ll wait a couple of days before trying something new.” He said even though Kili already knew the drill.

“Anything I should be looking out for with the new addition?” Kili wondered as he wandered over to the window when he noticed that Fili had come to investigate. Their voices must have gained his attention. Those blue eyes regarded him for a moment, but when nothing held his interest, the creature turned around and moved to the other side of the tank where he liked to sleep.

“The common reactions would be swollen lips, runny nose, sneezing, and maybe watery eyes.” Oin listed the symptoms from a printout he always had ready for Kili if he wanted it, “It might be a little difficult to notice some of those symptoms with an aquatic creature.”

“He _has_ been spending more time at the surface.” Kili pointed out as he looked at Oin from over his shoulder. “I’d at least notice the lips, watery eyes, and sneezing.”

“If he sneezes anything like Lady does, then everyone will notice it.” Oin chuckled as he leaned back in his chair and stretched his back. It was surprising how loud the manatee could be with her sneezes. “Watch for any signs of rashes as well, and obviously the more severe symptoms like vomiting or diarrhea.”

“Got it.” Kili nodded his head as he pushed away from the window so he could use Oin’s desk for a moment. He quickly jotted down the things to look for, though he doubted he’d forget them.

“If everything is good in a few days’ time, we’ll introduce him to something else. Any suggestions?” Oin waited, pen above paper for Kili to choose. Their options were pretty much open to them as long as they took things slowly and made sure Fili didn’t react negatively to anything.

“I was thinking apples or oranges.” Kili grinned at the thought of giving Fili an orange to figure out. “The peel on the banana was something he seemed fascinated with, so I can only imagine how he’d react to an orange.”

Oin made a thoughtful humming noise. “Mental stimulation is good, and the better he feels the more he should have.” He nodded, pleased by this outcome and began writing down Kili’s suggestions. “Let’s try for apples first, and then we’ll see how he likes oranges.” He punctuated this decision with a tap against the page with his pen. “Anything else you’ve taken note of?”

“Yeah actually,” Kili leaned back against the desk and crossed his arms lazily, “Sometimes I think he understands what I’m saying.” He explained before chuckling a little, “Not that he _listens_ if I ask him to do something.” Because Kili would never _tell_ Fili to do anything; he’d read enough to know that that would never work with the stubborn species. “When I was researching I did read about mermaids learning it, but they were all far older than Fili is.” Kili was going by the fact that Fili didn’t have facial hair yet and the fact that the information he’d been reading had occurred at least a century ago.

Oin moved Fili’s diet sheet out of the way and began writing on one they were making notes of behaviour on. “It’s highly possible he picked it up while in captivity.” He ignored the frown that appeared on Kili’s face at mentioning the mer’s speculated history, not about to be delicate when they were discussing his patient. “It may also be possible that those who had learned the language passed it on or are still passing it on. Mermaids live an awfully long time. There are records of sailors encountering mermaids they could communicate with way back in the day, before humans started capturing and killing them.”

Kili had no words to describe the incessant amount of rage he held for the vile humans who had started the practice of capturing mers, and for the morons who continued it even nowadays. It was disgusting and painful to know that they’d almost single-handedly destroyed such a beautiful race.

“Thorin would know more than I, at least about that aspect of mermaids.” Oin finished writing his notes about Fili before closing the folder and standing up to crack his back.

“Thorin?” Kili questioned in surprise, but at the same time it made sense. His boss did have the background in marine biology, and he had been the one behind the creation of the Erebor Aquarium.

The vet looked at him, “Of course. He’s the one with all the books. I know them on medical terms, but Thorin’s had a bit of an interest for as long as I’ve known him.” The old man shrugged.

“Oh.” Kili kind of felt silly not having realized it before, “I’ll talk to him about it and see what he says.”

“Good, good. In the meantime, you can bring me Fili’s next meal portion and I’ll see about those antibiotics.” Oin moved away from his desk and headed to a locked cabinet where all medications were kept.

“Will do. Be right back.” Kili pushed away from the desk and made his way out of the lab.

A sudden and loud – but highly familiar – bang made him stop in surprise the moment he stepped out of the room. That was the distinct sound of Fili’s tail hitting the glass of the observation window.

“Damn it!” Oin cursed rather loudly, “You insufferable creature! You were just waiting for him to leave the room to do that, weren’t you?”

As Kili muffled his laughter at the mer’s antics, he couldn’t help but feel pleased by the idea of Fili having waited so as not to startle Kili too. It was probably just coincidence, but it was a nice thought all the same.

***

It was four days later when Oin approved the addition to Fili’s diet, though his breakfast that morning had been his usual portions of ‘special’ grapes and bananas that Oin had packed with vitamins and nutrients the mer needed, not to mention antibiotics for his healing side. Fili still kept his right flank carefully hidden from view, but what Oin had been able to catch sight of had looked good, and he’d said that the stitches were beginning to dissolve the way they were supposed to.

With that worry shelved for the moment, Kili had focused on bonding with the creature, and over the course of the last few days, he had managed to coax the mer close again and had almost gotten Fili to take right from his hand that very morning. The mer had changed his mind at the last moment much to Kili’s disappointment; that hand had been stretched out and those clawed fingers had been just inches away from Kili’s palm. Kili had mentally prepared himself for getting scratched just to be safe, but instead of taking the fruit, Fili had ducked below the surface to hide.

It had seemed like sudden shyness to Kili, which was a surprise. Fili had been anything but shy when it came to food and had been fairly demanding when he was hungry. Regardless, Kili had jotted down a couple of notes to discuss with Oin later.

A shy mer. That thought was ridiculously adorable.

After the almost-success of breakfast, Kili had high hopes for lunch. There had been two more feeding times in between, but Kili hadn’t wanted to pressure the mer again so soon and had been content with tossing the fruit into the water instead. He’d decided he’d try again at lunch time.

Tauriel found him preparing the fruit in the staff room while listening to a radio that always sat on top of the microwave. Kili was humming along to the local station as he sliced up an apple when she appeared.

The redhead leaned her back against the counter and watched him cut the fruit, “So how’s he coming?” She asked like she asked every day. She was one of the few who could approach the tank without getting snarled at, but she was also keeping her distance so as not to disrupt the bonding process between the mermaid and Kili.

The brunet glanced at her with a smile, “Good I think. He almost took from my hand this morning, but that’s about all that’s new so far.” He was hoping to change that with this meal time.

Tauriel treated him to a wide grin and wide excited eyes, “Seriously? That’s so awesome, Kili! How close did he get? Is he still mostly hiding his face under the water?” She’d wheedle him for information all day if he let her.

“He was about four feet, I guess, but his hand came within inches of mine.” Kili explained excitedly, knowing that Tauriel understood why something so small was actually quite the opposite. “I’m going to try again now to see if he comes any closer, and yeah he’s still hiding under the water for the most part.” He shrugged. Maybe a shy mermaid really wasn’t a surprise when thinking of how Fili so often kept half his head under the surface.

“Can I watch?” She asked, sharing in his excitement and wanting to see things for herself. “He usually just ignores me when I wander over to talk to him when you’re not here.” Kili never thought that being ignored would be a privilege, but it kind of was in this case. It meant you wouldn’t be chased away from the tank if Fili ignored you.

It was rare for Kili not to be at the facility, but he had promised Thorin that he’d start taking better care of himself. He still spent time at the facility every day to feed Fili and interact with him, but he was going home most nights even if it was reluctantly. On the nights he did stay, they were always after Fili had eaten something new, and it was so Kili could continue to watch for any sort or reaction to the fruit. Bonding was important too and he knew Thorin couldn’t even argue that fact, and because Fili was so different from the other creatures at the rehabilitation centre, they had to go about things differently from normal.

“I’m glad you interact with him.” It pleased the brunet to know that someone had been interaction with Fili when he couldn’t. “Even if he doesn’t show it, I’m sure he gets lonely sometimes.”

“Considering how all the books say mermaids are social creatures that thrive in colonies, I’d say so.” Tauriel nodded in sad agreement, and for a moment they both silently wondered about Fili missing his colony.

Ignoring thoughts that would just upset him, Kili focused on the apple. Once the apple was sliced, he gathered about half of it into a small feeding bag that was normally used for treats. Another bag already filled with Fili's lunch portion of grapes and pieces of banana sat next to it on the counter, separated to stop cross contamination until they were sure there would be no reaction to any new fruit. The small bags were meant to be clipped to a belt for easy access and gave Kili use of both hands, which was something he needed.

“Hey.” He stopped his packing of the food and looked at his friend, “Can you do me a favour since you’re going to watch?” He wondered even as he took out his phone and handed it to her. “Film me feeding him in case he really does take it from me today?”

“Yeah sure.” She nodded as she took the camera before following him out to the tank, an excited bounce in her step as they approached the observation area.

The mer was already at the surface and seemed to be waiting for them.

"Hey, buddy! You must be hungrier than usual today. You’re usually still napping at this time." Kili commented, talking like he always did to any creature he was taking care of at the time. He wanted Fili to get familiar with his voice, and it seemed to be working for the most part. "Maybe it's time we spoke to Oin about upping your portion sizes." And there was just more proof that the mer was healing.

Blue eyes regarded him from just above the surface of the water before they slid over to look at the redhead leaning against the railing. Kili couldn't see Fili's face from his nose down as he was half hiding under water, but there was no hint of a snarl, though those eyes did look at her in suspicion.

"You should know Tauriel. She talks to you sometimes when I'm not here." Kili recalled this new information. "She just wants to hang around for a bit, so I hope that's okay. If not," Kili smirked, "feel free to splash her."

Green eyes narrowed in a glare as they focused on Kili.

Kili only gave her an innocent smile before he pulled out a couple of the grapes and bananas, being careful not to squish either. He tossed them in for the mer to get just as he'd done the last two feedings.

For a few seconds, Kili wasn't sure if Fili was actually going to eat anything with someone new watching him. He remained right where he was in the tank, eyes on the young woman and not paying any attention to the food floating nearby. But then the moment seemed to pass, and though the mer continued to watch Tauriel, he gathered the fruit up and ate it.

"He doesn't watch you so closely." Tauriel noted in a soft tone so as not to draw any more attention to her. She was holding Kili's phone and had it pointed toward the mer.

"That’s a new development." Kili admitted as he tossed in a few more pieces. "Right Fili? I could have probably walked around the tank a hundred times just a few days ago and he never would have taken his eyes off me." The brunet grinned down at the mer as he found a grape floating closer to where Kili was standing. The mer wasn't even paying any attention to him as he moved through the water to get it. "I think he's beginning to trust me now." Kili beamed proudly. He knew he had a long way before he fully gained Fili's trust, but he was confident that it would happen eventually.

It was always an amazing feeling when a hurt animal deemed someone trustworthy, and though Kili still wasn't sure if he should classify the mer as an animal, the feeling was the same. Kili was bound and determined to cultivate and help to grow that trust and not fuck it up. He didn't care if it took the rest of his life; he wanted to befriend the mermaid.

Kili let Fili finish the regular portion of his fruit before he stepped over to the ladder. After checking that the bag of apple slices was attached to his belt, the brunet began to climb down.

"What are you doing?" Tauriel asked suspiciously, and Kili knew she wasn't stupid so she knew exactly what he was doing as he came to a stop just along the waterline.

"I thought I'd go for a swim, what do you think I'm doing." He rolled his eyes at her even as he knelt down on the rung of the ladder that was half under the water, eyes watching the gently lapping movements of small ripples along the surface and noticing that Fili had disappeared underneath.

"I hope he pulls you in so you really do go for a swim." Tauriel muttered. "Thorin would freak out if he saw you right now."

"And now you've discovered another reason why I don't feed Fili in front of others. I told you how close he got; it’s not my fault you didn’t figure out how I was feeding him." Kili pointed out without looking at her as he skimmed his hand across the surface of the water. He could see Fili's dark shape where he'd been hovering before. The tank wasn't big enough for him to really swim around so there wasn’t really anywhere he could go. "Come on, Fili." Kili coaxed gently, "I have new fruit for you to try." Kili dipped the apples under the surface to show the mer.

He waited a moment, heart leaping when that dark shape began to move closer toward him. "That's it. Come check them out." The brunet encouraged. Even if Fili didn't take from his hand, at least they were still making progress. A week ago the mer wouldn't have left the corner of his tank no matter what Kili did to draw him out.

A head of blond hair made dark from the water surfaced a few feet away from Kili, those blue eyes looking at Kili's hand with undisguised curiosity, but when they flicked up to look at Kili's face, they were guarded and cautious.

Kili only smiled, continuing to hold his arm outstretched and his fingers relaxed around the fruit. "It's okay, take your time." He insisted, though he was determined to wait there all day if he had to. "These are apple slices. The fruit is usually round but bigger than your grapes," he began to explain the white and bright red pieces of fruit he had in his hand. "They have a skin you can eat this time, not like the banana at all." He promised, grinning in remembrance of when he'd given Fili a whole banana the other day. Though the mer had watched him peel the fruit several times, he couldn't seem to do it himself. The frustrated creature had eventually grabbed the fruit and tried to bend it. Kili had been watching the mer's face, so he had witnessed the look of surprise that appeared when the peel split and he was able to get at the soft fruit inside.

Kili's heart flipped inside his chest as the mer drew closer, still mostly hiding beneath the water. The brunet stayed as still as he could, keeping his fingers from twitching so there was no chance at him startling the creature.

When Fili surfaced just a little more, revealing his entire face so he could draw close enough to sniff the fruit, Kili was sure that the blond must have been able to hear the excited pounding of his heart.

The mermaid was only inches away! This was closer than Fili’s body had ever been before as he usually reached with his hands first. But this was the first time Kili had introduced a new fruit this way, and Fili had a routine when it came to discovering something new.

Kili had witnessed it with the bananas and the raspberries, and he had no doubt that the grapes had been treated the same. Kili just hadn't witnessed it. The mer would smell the new fruit before taking a hold of one and squishing it between his fingers. Kili assumed he was getting a feel for the texture. Then the fruit would be sampled with a tentative lick. The bananas had simply gotten mushed up and hadn't really gotten a reaction before the pieces disappeared inside that hungry mouth. The first raspberry, however, had gotten juices everywhere when Fili had squeezed it between his fingers. The red juice that had come out of the wet berry had almost seem to fascinated the blond as he looked at his red stained fingers.

The squished mess was treated like the banana had been, a pink tongue slipping out to taste. The sourness must have shocked the mer because the next thing Kili had witnessed was the mer reeling back and then _growling_ at his raspberry covered hand.

Kili had had to try his hardest to smother his laughter because he _knew_ Fili would have taken it badly and they'd lose any and all progress they'd made at the time. It had been one of the funniest and cutest moments the brunet had ever witnessed and he wished he'd gotten the precious moment on camera. It was what had led him to asking Tauriel to recording this introduction.

Kili could feel the tense atmosphere when Fili moved closer. He was a predator, and even though his mouth was closed, both Kili and Tauriel knew that those sharp teeth could appear at any moment. Mermaids were unpredictable and it wouldn't have been a surprise if Fili simply lashed out and bit him.

Kili mentally tried to tell Tauriel to keep quiet and not stop this moment. He didn't care if he was bitten; this moment felt too monumental to ruin. Fili was so close Kili could see his nostrils flaring as the mer inhaled the scent of the apples, and Kili even realized that the mer had a light dusting of freckles along his nose that he'd never noticed before.

Having gotten the scent, Fili finally looked away from the fruit and focused on Kili again, gaze calculating and still wary as he tried to decide if this was a trick or if it was safe for him to take the food.

Inside his mind, Kili was promising the mer that it was safe. _It's okay buddy, the fruit is yours. I'm not going to hurt you, and I'll protect you from anyone who tries. You're safe here, I promise. You can do this buddy. I'll take care of you._ He was afraid that if he said anything out loud, then it would startle Fili and he'd back away and they would have to start all over again.

Fingers appeared near Kili's outstretched limb, and the man held his breath as a pale hand followed. The claws at the end of those fingertips were thicker and darker than human nails, and for the first time, Kili saw that most of them were actually chipped; the tips of them broken and jagged.

The brunet fought hard not to frown at this discovery as his mind immediately went to Fili's prior captivity, and he wondered for the hundredth time about what the mermaid had gone through. He wished he could just ask, but despite how much the mer could understand Kili's language, he couldn't speak it.

That hand was quick and swiped one of the slices from his palm, and though the brunet could feel the slight sting from Fili's claws grazing over his skin, there was no pain and no blood.

Kili could have cried in joy and utter happiness at the fact that he'd finally coaxed Fili this close. The adrenaline rushed through him, but he had to remain still, only allowing himself a large grin at this monumental occasion. The mer had taken from his hand! He'd actually done it!

He watched as Fili squished the slice between his fingers curiously, and then the fruit piece disappeared into his mouth.

Three things happened so quickly that it would all become a bit of a jumbled mess in Kili's memory, but thankfully everything had been caught on camera that he’d be able to watch.

A completely blank expression overcame the mer's face as Fili truly registered the taste of the apple.

The fruit was spit out into his hand with an indignant grunt before being hurled at Kili with a surprising amount of force that hit the brunet right between the eyes and caused the apple slice to explode. Later on Fili's impressive aim would be admired and mentioned for months to come, but at this moment, Kili was too busy being blinded by apple chunks and juices.

"Kili!" Tauriel shouting and a loud growl was the only warning Kili received before he felt something sharp and warm close around the hand that had been held out for the mer. The warmth disappeared but the stinging remained.

"Jesus Christ, Kili, you moron!" Tauriel sounded panicked and much closer than she had been before.

By the time she reached him, Kili had wiped the juices from his eyes and was making his way up the ladder.

"Are you okay?" His friend looked frantic as she looked at his head and then his hand. "Why the hell are you smiling?" She scowled as she held his hand between them so they could check the damage those teeth had done.

Kili hadn't even realized he was still grinning, but even as she mentioned it, his grin grew wider. "He took from my hand, Tauriel!" He explained excitedly, completely elated and not caring about anything else.

She snorted as she prodded at his injury, "He also bit you." She reminded him as if he needed it.

Kili looked down at his hand and saw the marks pressed into the part of his hand between his thumb and pointer finger. They weren't deep at all and were barely bleeding. They'd scab over before his shift was finished. "Nah, that was hardly a bite." And as the only one who'd gotten bitten so far, he would be the best to make the comparison. "I think that was him his way of telling me he doesn't like apples." He was practically vibrating with giddy happiness but he was unable to stop.

Tauriel scoffed loudly even as she glanced into the tank. The mer had settled down in his corner and they could imagine the sulking that Oin was probably being treated to. "You need to be more careful." She looked at him with a serious expression. "He's a wild animal, Kili, and could seriously hurt you."

Kili didn't doubt that. If Fili had wanted to, he could have easily hurt Kili, or worse. But he hadn't. He hadn't even really hurt the brunet. The bite to his hand was practically a nip that Kili was going to take as a simple warning from an overly dramatic creature.

Kili squeezed Tauriel's hand in an attempt to draw her attention to what was really important here. "T." He said slowly, " _He took from my hand_!"

"That’s one way of putting it.” Those pretty green eyes rolled skyward as she made a quiet sound of disbelief, but then she seemed to accept that Kili was a few dolphins short of a pod anyway. She hugged her friend even as she wanted to pound some sense into his empty head, "It’s awesome, Kili." She said, focusing on what Kili wanted her to focus on - she really was an awesome friend, "You going to announce that on the white board?"

"Of course I am." Kili laughed as he picked up the bag of empty food to take down to the staff room to wash. "I'm just thinking of how to word it."

"Hm." She took a moment to think before a mischievous smirked crossed her face, "How about ' _reaction to apples similar to the reaction after smelling Gimli's feet'_?"

"We're going to give Gimli complex." Kili mentioned but didn't disagree as he spotted his phone sticking out of Tauriel's pocket. "Did you get it on film?" He wondered.

"You bet I did. This is going to go up onto our website as soon as we're given the go ahead to announce our new resident." It hadn’t been made public knowledge that they were housing a mermaid just yet, and people were literally the last thing Fili needed to deal with while he was healing. But as much as Kili wanted to keep the mermaid protected and secret, he knew it wouldn’t last forever.

Tauriel nudged Kili away from the tank, "Let me disinfect your hand while you watch the video. It would just be your luck that it would get infected and you lose it or something."

“This is why you’re my best friend.” Kili cooed at her with a cheeky grin even as he turned and headed toward the stairs that led down into the staff area. “Hey, you know what would make you an even better friend?” He asked, but this time his words held a sheepish tone.

Tauriel kept her voice even, “Not telling Thorin how you practically crawled into the tank to feed the mer and got bit in the process?”

“Yep.”

“Consider it done.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [my tumblr](mylittledragonhoard.tumblr.com)


	5. Peace Offering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kili thought he was making progress with Fili, but then this happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you once again for your support with this fic. Reading your comments and seeing your kudos never fails to make me smile! I appreciate every one, thank you!
> 
> On a side note, this slow burn is killing me. How do people stand writing it?! I just want them to snuggle already!
> 
> Prompt for this chapter was " **Offer** " from Goativa.

“Ten bucks says the fish actually eats him this time.”

“Don’t be stupid. He doesn’t like meat. Twenty says he bites him instead.”

“Oh come on. The odds of that happening are in your favour considering he’s bitten him almost every time.”

“Then I guess you better bet on Kili’s reflexes if you want to win, huh?”

Kili glared over at the two standing near one of the large cement support pillars that held up the roof of Erebor’s observation floor. At least they’d had the brains to stand out of view of the tank so that their ugly faces wouldn’t upset the mermaid within it. “Are you two done being assholes?” He asked with more than a little hint of annoyance.

Both Gimli and Nori flashed Kili their most innocent grins, but Kili knew them and knew better than to believe anything they offered was truly innocent. “We’re just playing.” Nori insisted as he uncrossed his arms and shrugged a shoulder before motioning toward the mer’s tank with his hand. “You haven’t exactly had the best track record.”

Kili loathed the fact that Nori had a point, but he refused to give them the satisfaction of admitting they were right. Fili had bitten him and snarled at him more in the last few days than he’d ever had a creature do before, and it frustrated him beyond belief that he couldn’t figure out _why_ this was happening all of a sudden.

“If you two don’t have anything better to do, there’s a tank that could be cleaned before the meeting this afternoon.” Thorin frowned from where he stood next to the ladder leading down into Fili’s tank. His tone held no room for argument and his furrowed eyebrows were paired nicely with the disappointed scowl that had appeared on his face.

“That’s going to need more than a couple of hours.” Gimli frowned but reluctantly pushed himself away from the pillar.

“Better get started then.” Thorin’s frown grew deeper and when he crossed his arms in front of his broad chest, Gimli clued it that it wasn’t a good time to mess around.

Nori had clued in too because he grabbed a hold of Gimli’s shirt and began pulling him away. “Come on before you put your foot in it and we’re on tank duty for the rest of the week.” He muttered to Gimli but winked at Thorin, “We’ll see you at the meeting!” He cheekily saluted before pulling Gimli toward the other side of the facility where the tank they planned to move Fili was located.

Kili looked over at his boss with a thank you on the tip of his tongue, but the gratitude must have shown on his face because Thorin waved his hand in dismissal before the brunet could say anything. “Just focus on your mermaid.” He motioned to the tank with a tilt of his head.

A frown that could rival the one Thorin had given to Nori and Gimli appeared on Kili’s face. “He’s not my mermaid. That sounds like I own him.” And he’d already promised Fili, whether the mer had understood or not, that he wasn’t a pet to be kept.

His boss rolled his eyes, “He’s your responsibility and you’re his handler, so he is, in fact, your mermaid. Now wipe that menacing look off your face or you’ll threaten or terrify him.” Thorin turned back to peer into the tank, waiting for Kili to get on with it.

Kili relaxed, silently admitting that Thorin was kind of right but still feeling uncomfortable with the wording. Fili was too much like a person of his own to call him _his_. He let it go for the moment in favour of focusing on the task at hand, which involved him getting his ass into the tank. He stepped up to the ladder and looked down into the water to see if Fili had surfaced at all, but the creature was huddled in his corner where he’d been the last few days. The water was calm enough for Kili to see that the blond head was tilted in his direction and those blue eyes were watching him closely.

For the last week and a half, Fili had been taking food straight from Kili’s hand with no hesitation, and the brunet had been feeding him that way as much as he could so that the mer would grow used to his presence. Their relationship had reached a point where the mer would be waiting by the ladder as Kili descended for feeding times.

Oin had suggested that Kili try getting in the tank now that he’d built up trust with the creature, so Kili had donned the standard blue and black wetsuit that was considered part of the uniform. He hadn’t had reason to wear it in a long while as the only other enclosure he’d been in had been Lady’s, and then he just stuck to a pair of shorts made from the same material. He figured the added protection in this case would help as he attempted to get into Fili’s tank. Things had been going so well with the mer that he’d thought this would be easy.

He’d thought wrong.

The moment the mer had spotted Kili climbing down the ladder and into the water it was like they hadn’t bonded at all. The creature had snarled and screeched so loudly from the other side of the tank that the sound had brought others to see what was going on. And of course the sight of Gimli, Oin, and Ori had thrown Fili into an even louder fit and any attempts Kili had made to try and sooth him had been squashed.

Discouraged by the reaction, Kili had climbed out of the tank and had stayed away to let Fili settle down, but even still Fili had huddled in his favourite corner beneath the surface for the rest of the day, refusing to even come and eat at the next feeding time. Kili had almost panicked thinking he’d destroyed what good they had accomplished with the mer eating but was placated when he had returned a little later to find that all the fruits had been eaten.

The next day and the day after that had gone much the same with Fili’s violent reaction to Kili stepping into his tank. Kili hadn’t wanted to try again in fear of frightening Fili away for good since they hadn’t had any positive contact in as many days. But the staff was having a meeting that afternoon and he knew that the subject of moving Fili to another tank was slated to be discussed. Moving any creature to another tank involved getting in the water with them, and until Kili was allowed to do that, Fili was pretty much stuck. Kili had to try again.

Which led him to now, prepared to climb down the ladder into the familiar tank but reluctant to do so. Thorin and Tauriel were there to assist as much as they could, and they’d recruited Eowyn Eadig and her brother Eomer to help as well. The siblings had grown up in the city of Rohan, which was far south from Erebor, to study marine biology. Eomer was currently assigned to Guthwine, a white tipped reef shark that was considered a permanent resident since most of his dorsal fin had been cut off, and Eowyn had the task of looking after three green turtles that had been caught in a fishing net and brought in to the facility. Luckily Fili reacted to them much like he reacted to Tauriel and Thorin.

Thorin and Eomer stood by the ladder while Eowyn stood to the side left of the ladder and Tauriel on the right side. Both women were holding a long pole with a loop made of steel cable that was used for catching animals. They would only attempt to use the poles to hold Fili back or try to distract him away from Kili.

“Ready?” Tauriel asked as she shifted in her spot, green eyes looking between Kili and the figure coiled at the bottom of the tank.

“No.” Kili admitted but took a deep breath and held it as he stepped toward the ladder, starting his slow descent down the four rungs that were above the water. He sensed that both Thorin and Eomer moved closer to the ladder, prepared to haul Kili out if it came to that. He stepped down carefully, keeping his back to the ladder so that he didn’t have to take his eyes off the predator within the tank. As usual, the moment his feet touched the first rung that sat below the water’s surface, the mer coiled further in on himself, drawing his tail as close to his body as he could.

Kili felt disheartened at the sight of the creature reacting to him like that, and his first thought was to go back up the ladder and forget it for the day. Fili clearly wasn’t going to cooperate. Instead, he sighed and looked at the mer imploringly, as though Fili could tell him what was wrong. “Did I do something, Fili?” He found himself asking, keeping his voice calm and even. “You don’t even react to Oin like this. Did I hurt you somehow? Offend you?” He kept talking as he climbed down the ladder, hoping that maybe the sound of his voice would help.

When the water was waist deep, he stopped and surveyed the area. Although Fili hadn’t moved, the tank was almost eerily calm, and Kili could feel the tension growing the longer he remained where he was. Adrenaline was rushing through him and his heart was beating as if he’d been running, not having just climbed down a ladder. He hated feeling nervous around Fili, but after the last few days he couldn’t help it.

“I have a few grapes for you, buddy.” Kili mentioned though he didn’t reach back to the pouch attached to his wetsuit just yet. Taking another breath and holding it again, Kili stepped down so that the water was half way up his chest and he’d run out of ladder if he went any farther.

That’s when Fili struck.

The sound of water was Kili’s only warning before there was a dark streak below the surface in front of him. A wave surged up and over Kili’s head, forcing the brunet to bring an arm up in an attempt to shield his face, and something heavy and solid slammed into him at the same time. A low and vicious snarl began close to his face, and it was followed by the familiar pinch of the teeth he’d gotten well acquainted with over the last few days around his forearm. It was the same arm that had been scarred, and when Kili was finally able to blink the water from his eyes and look at the creature, it was like the first day all over again.

“Kili!” Several voices called his name and there were the sounds of people scrambling along the concrete above.

“Don’t!” Kili called out, though he wasn’t sure if he was talking to his co-workers or to Fili.

The mer’s lips were curled back angrily as he released a low and threatening growl while his tail thrashed close to Kili’s legs. The first time they had been in this position, Fili had been close to death and had had the disadvantage of being out of the water. He’d gained a lot of strength since then, and Kili knew he could be pulled under rather easily if Fili chose. For a moment, Kili truly feared him.

But then the brunet actually _looked_ at Fili’s face and its heartbreakingly familiar expression, taking in the way his unfocused glassy eyes were dilated instead of contracted despite the furrowed brows and the intimidating noises.

Fili wasn’t angry. He was afraid.

“God damn it, Kili! Take my hand!” Thorin shouted and Kili could vaguely hear Tauriel and Eowyn splashing to try to draw Fili’s attention away.

“I’m fine!” Kili said loudly without looking away from the mer, a sudden calmness overcoming him now that he knew what he was dealing with. To the mer he lowered his voice, “It’s okay, Fili.” He spoke gently despite the increasing pressure of that jaw. He’d been bitten before today, but he’d managed to evade most of the damage, and thanks to the material of the suit and quick reflexes he’d only come out of things with a few places where those teeth had broken skin. He could feel this time was different as Fili bit down harder. “We’ll figure this out, okay? You don’t have to be afraid anymore.” He promised with a shaky smile and tried not to wince at the sharp sting, “Nobody is going to hurt you again. I’ll protect you. You’re safe.”

Fili’s growl grew louder and Kili truly expected to have either a chunk of skin ripped out or his arm torn off at any moment. Instead, all the sounds abruptly stopped as his blood finally seeped through the material of the wetsuit and into Fili’s mouth. Kili watched as the mer’s gaze slowly focused on him as if seeing him for the first time and his eyes widened in sudden alarm.

Clawed hands came out of the water and braced along Kili’s wrist and elbow, but instead of gripping, they pushed against the arm as Fili wrenched himself away. Once he’d completely let go, the mer disappeared beneath the surface with another splash; his abrupt change of heart and sudden departure practically leaving Kili in a daze as he tried to make sense of what just happened.

“For fuck’s sake.” He distantly heard Thorin growl and he knew his boss had to be freaked out if he was throwing the F-bomb around like that since he rarely used it.

Kili didn’t get the chance to ponder that thought any longer as something grabbed him and began hauling him out of the water. He helped as much as he could, but Thorin and Eomer moved efficiently and Kili found himself out of the tank and sitting on the cement before he could really process it.

Red hair was in his face not a second later and the ache in his arm grew worse as it was moved and examined. “I need him out of this.” Tauriel said to someone behind Kili, and though Kili hadn’t caught on to what she was talking about, whoever she had spoken to did. His wetsuit was unzipped and pulled off his arms so that his friend could check over his injuries.

He could see teeth impressions pressed into his skin that almost lined up with his scars exactly, but only some of them had actually broken skin. The puncture marks were welling up with blood and dripping down his arm. They didn’t look like they were bleeding even half as bad as the first bite he’d gotten, but when he glanced up, Tauriel’s face had paled to a scary shade of white. He reached out and squeezed her shoulder with his uninjured arm, “I’m fine.” He promised her.

Worried green eyes flicked up to look at him, but before she had the chance to say anything, fingers pressed against an area of Kili’s back and pain shot up his spine making him hiss loudly. “What the hell?” He groaned in surprise and confusion as Tauriel went back to looking at his arm.

“You didn’t realize he slammed you against the ladder?” Thorin’s voice was gruff and the man sounded grumpier than he had in a long while, a clear sign he had truly been worried. “Lean forward.” He instructed so he could inspect Kili’s back, though it came out as an order.

“No, I didn’t.” Kili admitted as he did as he was told, not wanting to make Thorin’s already sour mood worse by arguing, “It all kind of happened so fast.” He winced again when Thorin pressed against a spot just underneath his shoulders.

“You’re going to be black and blue come tomorrow.” Eomer supplied even as Thorin hummed in agreement, seemingly relieved that there was no seriously damage. They both let go of Kili so the young man could sit up more comfortably.

“This bite was worse than the rest.” Tauriel said and Kili drew his attention back to his arm. There wasn’t really any more blood than there had been the first time he looked, though it stung quite a lot. “The wetsuit still managed to protect you a little. You’re lucky this is all the damage he did.”

“I don’t think he was seeing _me_.” Kili frowned in thought as he glanced back into the water. Fili was huddled in his corner beneath the surface, but he was facing away from everyone. It made Kili’s heart hurt to see such a forlorn sight, and he felt helpless because he had no way to comfort the creature. Kili looked up at Thorin, “He was frightened. Just like in the beginning. And as soon as he realized what he was doing, he let go.”

His boss let out a long sigh as he moved to grab a towel Kili had set down before they’d even started this venture. “We can only guess at what Fili went through before coming to us. Maybe now that he’s somewhat settled, he’s reacting like humans do after traumatic events.” He came back and handed Kili the towel.

The brunet stood with Eomer’s help and attempted to dry his hair a little, considering Thorin’s theory. “So like PTSD.”

“I don’t see why not. Perhaps something’s triggered him.” Thorin crossed his arms and looked into the tank thoughtfully, though the worry lines around his mouth and eyes gave his concern away. He cared about the mer just as much as Kili did. “I’m not a psychologist though.”

“It makes sense.” Eowyn chimed in as she picked up the pole Tauriel had dropped in her worry for Kili. “He’s been perfectly fine, right? Maybe because he’s feeling safe and letting his guard down this is happening.”

“It’s something to discuss with Oin at any rate.” Thorin concluded as he turned away from the tank and back to Kili. The blue of his eyes darkened as he focused on the blood, “You can discuss it while Oin’s tending to your new injuries.” He said as he glanced at his watch. He sighed again and ran a stressed hand through his hair. “Tauriel, take Kili down to see our doctor, please. Eomer, Eowyn, thank you for your assistance. If you two wouldn’t mind putting the equipment away?”

“Not at all.” Eowyn promised.

Thorin gave her a nod before turning and frowning at Kili, adopting a pointed look that Kili’s mother must have taught him because the brunet’s back immediately straightened upon seeing it. “And you. Stop getting injured.”

Kili realized he must have really scared Thorin, but he couldn’t allow his boss to worry like that. It gave him wrinkles. “Should I salute with a _sir yes sir_?”

Even Thorin’s glare couldn’t wipe away Kili’s cheeky grin, but the man only shook his head before turning toward the staff area, fed up with insolent brats for the moment. “Go get checked out! You have twenty minutes!” He called as he left, Eomer and Eowyn snickering as they too left to put the equipment away.

“You’re lucky you’re his favourite.” Tauriel muttered.

Kili let out a laugh, “We’re not supposed to know that.” He reminded her before draping the towel around his shoulders so he could begin to work himself out of his wetsuit. He must have looked pitiful struggling with only one arm because he heard Tauriel heave an exasperated sigh before she began to help him.

Once he was down to the pair of black neoprene shorts he preferred to wear, he slung his wetsuit over the railing above Fili’s tank to let it dry. He’d have to check out the damage later but figured it was best when he wasn’t bleeding all over the platform. “I’ll be back later for feeding time, okay Fili?” He spoke to the mer even though the creature was still hiding. Mentally he added, _We’ll figure this out, buddy._

***

Oin checked over Kili’s injuries and agreed that he would most likely be black and blue and very stiff the next day. There wasn’t much Oin could do with Kili’s arm. He cleaned and disinfected the fresh marks and then stuck band aids where he could despite Kili’s protests.

“Oin!” The brunet was not amused as he glared up at the vet, “Why would you – my arms are fucking hairy! Why would you stick – this is going to hurt like hell!” He muttered even as he tugged on one of the sticky strips only to get his hand slapped.

Kili wasn’t the only one not amused as Oin looked down at him through narrowed eyes, “Maybe this will teach you a lesson. May I remind you that I am a veterinarian and not a human physician? Stop sticking your limbs into mouths with sharp teeth in them!” He crossed his arms as if daring Kili to argue.

Kili thought about it, but in the end he decided sulking like a child as he picked at one of the cheap band aids was the better option. He was mollified with the fact that they were a cheap brand and would probably fall off with a little water. But he got Oin’s hint.

“Stop sulking.” Tauriel came into the lab holding yellow fabric at arms’ length and with only the tips of two fingers as if it was something disgusting. “You’re lucky this was the only shirt in your locker or else I’d take it outside and burn it.” It wasn’t the first time she’d made that threat, among many others, and it still managed to make Kili grin.

“Don’t you dare, that’s my favourite shirt.” The brunet insisted as he took it from her and pulled it on over his head. It really wasn’t his favourite, but her disdain for it amused him so he kept it around.

“Ugh, you have no taste.” The redhead rolled her eyes as she grabbed Kili’s uninjured arm and pulled him from the room so that they could get to the staff meeting.

Staff meetings were rare as everyone was usually quite busy doing their jobs or on different shifts, though if there was something important that needed to be discussed then everybody made sure to be there. It looked like the mermaid was something important since everyone turned out to this one; probably drawn by curiosity. They’d all kept their distance from the creature as they’d been asked to, but everyone was pretty fascinated with such a rarity. Thorin had taken advantage of having so many of the staff there that he’d gotten updates on the current active assignments.

Eomer and Eowyn spoke about their assignments. While Guthwine was doing fine and everything was normal for the shark, the turtles in Eowyn’s care would need a little more time to heal from their injuries but they would fully recover.

It was Ori’s turn and the redhead practically beamed from across the table where Kili and Tauriel sat listening. “The injury to Gwen’s lower abdomen has completely healed and she’s started to eat solid food again.” He grinned as he updated the room on how the two penguins in his care had been doing.

A call had come to the facility a few weeks before about a pair of penguins someone had brought to shore after realizing that one was injured. As their resident penguin expert, Ori had gone out and come back with Gwen, a female Snares penguin who had been attacked by a sea lion out near a little island where a colony of Snares lived. The fisherman admitted that his boat had scared the predator off and so the penguin had been left for dead.

Gwen’s mate, a Snares they named Ice Cap, had refused to leave his mate and had actually tried to follow the boat. The fisherman had felt he had no choice but to bring him with her to shore or else there would be two injured penguins. He’d come to the facility with her.

“I think they’ll both be ready to be released in the next week.” Oin concluded as Ori leaned back in his chair.

“That’s good news.” Thorin said as he wrote something down in the notebook he always brought to any meetings that were held. A laptop would have been easier, but Thorin had always liked paper and pen best. “When Oin gives the okay, we’ll have a boat ready to make the trip back out to their colony.” He continued writing for a moment.

It was Tauriel’s turn next, and she excitedly told everyone about how awesome Lady had been doing at changing course and getting to food she wouldn’t have been able to manage before. Since Lady was the not-so-secret favourite of everyone, the excitement was infectious.

“She misses seeing her favourite person though.” Tauriel nudged Kili’s thankfully uninjured arm, “I think she’s a little bit in love with you.”

Thorin snorted, “Please don’t encourage him. I’m actually playing him to do his job these days instead of charming all the female residents.” He muttered but it was definitely loud enough for everyone to hear.

“Funny how it doesn’t work on the human females around here.” Eowyn smirked from her chair and the combined comments set the whole room into laughter.

Kili let them laugh and have their fun, snickering along with them. “Sounds like someone’s jealous that the manatee is cuter.”

“I’m going to agree with Kili.” Eomer mumbled but regretted it as Eowyn slapped his arm. He should have thought better considering they were sitting next to each other.

To Tauriel, Kili said, “I miss her too. I’ll come see her soon. I’ve been focusing on Fili and getting him stable.” He knew he didn’t have to explain because Tauriel knew.

“Speaking of Fili.” Thorin interrupted and Kili knew it was his turn to speak now.

He sat up in his seat a little, aware that curious eyes were on him, but before a word left his mouth, Gimli suddenly swore and drew all the attention to him instead.

The man grumbled as he reached into his pocket and tossed two ten dollar bills in Nori’s general direction. He must have spotted the bandages on Kili’s arm. Confused looks were passed between other staff members, though Tauriel and Eowyn rolled their eyes and Thorin glared at the two until the money was tucked away. Nothing else was said about the exchange.

“He still won’t let you in his tank.” Dwalin was the one to speak the obvious from the corner of the table where he was leaning back against the wall; arms crossed as he listened to everyone give their updates.

Kili ran both of his hands through his hair, unintentionally giving everyone a view of the new bandages. He realized it and dropped his arms and nodded in the burly man’s direction. “Every time I try he basically goes ballistic.” He admitted a little reluctantly. It made him feel inadequate as Fili’s handler, especially because things had been going great. “We’re thinking he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and that it’s starting to manifest itself now that he feels safe.” He supplied to the group.

“It’s impossible for us to give the mermaid a psychological evaluation of course, so this is merely speculation.” Oin mentioned as he looked over his own notes from Fili’s file that he had open in front of him. A lot of things with most of their residents were sadly speculation. They could come up with a million scenarios every time, but they’d never be able to say for sure.

“So what does that mean for moving him?” Gloin inquired from his seat next to Dwalin. If there was going to be moving of any animal, the two of them would be in charge of it. They had been getting prepared for the move and had just been waiting on word of the tank and the mermaid.

“It means that for the time being he’s staying where he is.” Their veterinarian did not look happy about that, and Kili didn’t feel much better.

Before this whole incident, Fili had started growing restless and bored. The observation tank was way too small now that he was healed and had the energy to swim, and he’d been getting a little frustrated that he didn’t have the room to do that. It was like keeping a betta in a small bowl instead of a tank where it had room to actually swim and spread out. They had started a plan of moving him to a larger tank, but that meant using the crane and harness again.

“Given his last experience with the harness,” Oin explained reminding everyone of what had happened when they’d had to force feed the mer, “It’s safe to say that this time would be no different.”

“Can’t we just tranq him again?” Gimli suggested with a tired sigh.

“We planned to partially sedate him to keep him calm, but full sedation will be a last resort. We want as much of Fili’s cooperation as we can get while not damaging any progress Kili’s made so far.” The vet continued, “We have to use the harness and the crane to move him any way you look at it, but I think it will be beneficial – no, detrimental, to his health and stress level if we can gain that cooperation without force or with as little force as possible.”

“So we’re just waiting on Kili to turn on his charm and charm the scales off the mermaid so he cooperates.” Nori didn’t look very impressed by that idea at all.

Oin’s eyes narrowed just a fraction at Nori’s tone. “Yes, in fact, Kili is exactly what we’re waiting on. Kili _is_ Fili’s handler and he’s made extraordinary progress with the mermaid considering this is a situation nobody has ever been in before.” He turned to Thorin, “Until this sudden aggressiveness stops, then I don’t recommend attempting to move him.”

Thorin was nodding even as he made a few notes in his book. He’d been trusting Oin’s opinion for years, he wasn’t about to stop now. “Then the plan to move Fili is on hold for the time being.” He announced before turning to Dwalin and Gloin, “We’ll keep you updated with any progress.” He promised and turned to Kili. “I think it would be best if you gave Fili a few days without much contact.”

“It’s not like he’d let me anyway.” Kili muttered unhappily.

“We’ll work together to figure this out.” Oin insisted, “We haven’t gotten this far to quit now.” He huffed at the very idea.

That managed to make Kili smile, “No we haven’t.”

“Good. That goes for all of you. Stay away from the mermaid’s tank until further notice. We don’t want to accidentally rile him or set him off again.” Thorin said before turning and pinning Gimli and Nori with a glare, “You two are on tank cleaning duty. I want that tank prepared for the moment Fili is ready to be move.”

Gimli opened his mouth to protest, but Nori cleared his throat and nodded before a word left his mouth, knowing that there were worse punishments they could be given. “Sure thing, boss. We’ll get it done.” He promised.

With that last bit taken care of, Thorin dismissed the room and everybody slowly filed out of the room to go back to their tasks or go home if their shifts were over.

“You should come see Lady.” Tauriel suggested as she got up and stretched out her back from sitting in the chair for so long. “I’m going to put her through her paces once more today at least.”

Kili considered it even as he grinned, “You sound like a drill instructor or something.” He teased, “I have to feed Fili first, but after I’ll stop by and see her.” Seeing one friendly face that would actually be happy to see him sounded like something he desperately needed right about then.

“Alright, see you in a bit then!” She nodded and bounced out of the room, leaving Kili alone since everyone else had already gone.

Sighing to himself, Kili got up from his chair, finding his back and neck had already stiffened up from having to sit still for so long. He could feel the tenderness along his shoulder blades and the middle of his back where the bruises were most likely already forming. Ignoring that, he moved to the sink so he could get the band aids off as they’d been irritating him through the entire meeting.

With a little water, the cheap plastic peeled off easily and he got a good look at the wounds. They’d stopped bleeding and were already scabbing over. They were small in comparison to the first set, and probably wouldn’t scar very much, if they scared at all.

He had most of Fili’s meal portion ready and was peeling an orange to add to it when he heard the familiar growling start from above. The cement the facility was made of was good for carrying certain sounds. He turned to look at the open door of the staff room with a frown, wondering which idiot had decided it was a good idea to harass the already upset creature. They'd just had a damn staff meeting that explained everything!

Finishing the orange with a sigh, Kili added it to a bowl that was already filled with an assortment of fruits that he planned on dumping into Fili's tank. He missed being able to hand feed the mer, but it looked like this would be the way of feeding him until they figured out why he was reacting so aggressively.

He cleaned up the mess he'd made with peels and skins and juices and washed his hands of the same sticky juices before grabbing the bowl and heading toward the observation deck to ream out whoever it was messing with the mermaid.

Except when he reached the tank, he was the only one there, and yet Fili continued to growl low and threateningly. Kili looked down into the tank, thinking maybe someone had gotten it in their head to try getting into the water and was maybe trapped, but no. The mermaid was the only one in the tank.

_Something_ had drawn the creature to the surface though. He’d been spending the rest of the days huddled in his corner.

Kili was standing on the opposite side of the tank from where the ladder hung down and because Fili seemed to think the ladder was his new enemy, it gave the brunet time to observe the situation without being discovered.

What on earth had Fili riled now? Kili frowned as he scanned over the area surrounding the tank but came up with nothing that was unusual. His wetsuit still hung where he'd left it over the railing. He still had to check the damage Fili's teeth had done to it. There were a couple of cabinets that stored equipment for the staff, but they couldn't even be seen from inside the tank.

A breeze picked up and ruffled Kili's hair and made part of his wetsuit flutter.

Hazel eyes widened when the growl shifted into a snarl at the movement and he suddenly realized that Fili wasn't growling at the _ladder_ but he was looking _up_ at the suit.

"Holy shit." Kili muttered as the situation suddenly clicked. Fili hadn't been reacting to _Kili_ getting into the tank at all; he'd been reacting to the damned wetsuit the entire time! This knowledge caused a grin to blossom on Kili's face and relief to flood through his limbs. He'd been so worried that it had been _him_ and that maybe Fili had decided he wanted nothing to do with him.

But it had nothing to do with Kili at all.

An idea began to sprout in Kili's mind and coming to a decision, the brunet spoke, "Here's your dinner, Fili." He'd been expecting Fili's reaction to the sudden sound of his voice, so he didn't take it personally when the startled mer disappeared beneath the surface and refused to come near the fruit once Kili had tipped the bowl over. "We'll get this straightened out." He found himself confident that it was possible now.

Without another look into the water, Kili moved around to where his wetsuit hung and he grabbed it from the railing. "You won't be seeing this again." He said quietly even as he walked out of view of the water. He continued across the observation deck and down the stairs leading back to the staff room, going a different way than he’d gone up.

His wetsuit was tossed on a chair in the staff room and he sat down in another so he could look at it. He took his time so that Fili could have the opportunity to maybe eat and calm down. He could see the puncture holes in the sleeve and the red of his blood staining the blue part of the material. The damage wasn't too bad at least. Not for the first time, he wished he knew what had happened. Why would a wetsuit trigger a reaction like the one Fili had had? He could discuss it with Thorin or Oin but that wouldn't give them exact facts, though Thorin probably knew more about mermaid poaching than anyone else Kili knew since he seemed to be in the know of these kinds of things.

He shifted the wetsuit and spotted the snack bag still clipped to the waist. His first thought was to put it back in the fridge but then figured it couldn't hurt to have it with him, so he clipped it to his shorts.

When he figured enough time had passed, he left the wetsuit where it was and made his way back up to the tank's surface. As he left the room, he grabbed a magazine sitting on a little side table where a small stack was kept for staff who liked to read them on a whim. It was a dumb celebrity magazine and Kili doubted anyone would care if it got wrecked or wet.

When the brunet reached the tank all was quiet, and though he could see Fili back in his corner, he could not see a single piece of fruit bobbing in the water.

"Hey buddy." Kili said to the mer as he moved closer to the ladder, attempting to gauge Fili's reaction to his presence without the wetsuit. It was hard to tell since the mermaid was under the surface, but Kili didn't see the same type of huddling motion there had been before. Though he was still wearing the black neoprene shorts, the yellow shirt that never failed to make Tauriel turn her nose up at was far different from any wetsuit and he was even barefoot this time. "I'm just going to sit and read a little, alright?" He explained just for the sake of talking. He knew Fili wouldn't understand what reading was, and the thought of the blond giving him that confused calculating look he sometimes wore made Kili smile.

The brunet put a hand on the railing before taking a deep breath. This was still dangerous, and Kili knew Thorin would be pissed that he was doing this without a spotter. "I'm going to just come down a little, okay? I'm sure you'll let me know if you don't want me here."

He took that first step, watching the distorted shape closely for any sign of distress and his ears were straining for any sound of growling. When nothing happened, Kili continued his slow descent, keeping the ladder to his back like he'd done a few hours before. Once he reached the first completely submerged rung, Kili stopped and tried to make himself comfortable.

He ended up with water up to his waist as he leaned over his knees with his ass wedged between two rungs of the ladder and his feet keeping him balanced on the rung below the one he was seated on. Overall it was not a very comfortable position, especially considering the rungs were pressing against the tender areas of his back, but he didn't figure he'd be there long. Just a little while so he could start getting Fili used to his presence again. He'd sit here for a while again the next day and then however many days it took for Fili to trust him again.

He opened the magazine and ignored the coldness of the water as he focused on the pages. He'd read a long and boring article about a big celebrity divorce that he could have gone living without the knowledge of, and he was half way through an article about some musician and debating whether he’d spent enough time there when a vibration along the ladder caught his attention. He continued on pretending to read but focused on the figure that had appeared at the bottom of the ladder. He hadn't expected the mer to move so close so soon, and he could only hope that Fili wasn't about to attack.

Kili waited, eyes skimming the page but barely registering any words as he kept his attention on the mermaid below him. Despite the water only being about six feet, it was hard to tell just how close Fili was. There was vibration through the ladder again and Kili figured the mer was slowly moving closer. That thought was confirmed when golden strands of hair brushed against his feet and ankles like seaweed would in the ocean.

He could see the mermaid almost clearly now that he'd gotten closer, and Kili's heart was pounding inside his chest in both excitement and anxiousness. There was the chance of Fili attacking again, but at the same time he probably would have done so by now. Kili hadn't expected to have the blond come so close so soon after all the trauma.

There was barely even a sound when Fili eventually surfaced a few inches away from the magazine Kili was holding out in front of him with both hands. The brunet stopped pretending to look at the book and watched the mer curiously, almost smiling when the creature leaned a little closer and began to sniff at his right hand.

That was when something amazing happened. Those blue eyes turned and looked right into Kili's, and then a soft questioning chirp was released from that mouth.

Kili's eyes widened as he stared in surprise at the very first sound Fili had made that wasn't threatening or displeased. He hadn't expected a sound like that either. It reminded him of an otter, though not as high pitched but no less adorable. "What?" He asked, the corners of his mouth turning up into a wide grin.

Fili chirped again and looked back at Kili's right hand.

Kili let go of the magazine with that hand and held it out to the mer with his palm flat. "You don't like my reading material?" The brunet wondered.

Fili's mouth curled down into a frown as he sniffed at Kili's hand once more before turning that frown on the human. The next chirp actually sounded disappointed, and it was then that Kili clued in. "You're looking for food." He realized and actually laughed, because of course the mer was looking for food. That’s what happened when Kili came down the ladder.

The sudden burst of sound startled the mer and with wide eyes he ducked beneath the surface of the water.

"No wait!" Kili called out even as he reached behind him to pull the pouch of grapes from his shorts, ignoring the way his back protested the fast movement. "I have your favourite." He promised before tossing the magazine up and behind him so it landed out of the tank.

Fili hadn't gone far and surfaced just enough so that he was just peeking out of the water. He watched Kili curiously until he saw that familiar bag, and then he surfaced more and chirped again, impatiently this time as Kili was digging out the fruit.

"Hold your seahorses." The brunet snickered quietly before grabbing a few of the grapes and holding them out toward the creature. "Look. Your favourite."

The grapes were swiped from Kili's hand the moment they were presented, and Fili disappeared beneath the surface with a splash.

"Thanks for that." The brunet wiped the water out of his eyes before glancing around to see where the mermaid had gone. He'd expected to find the dark shadow of that tail over in his corner, but instead he found Fili just below him at the bottom of the ladder again. It pleased Kili to know that he hadn't gone far. "I've got a couple more when you're done those." He said as he dug the remaining fruit from the bag.

With his concentration on the fruit, Kili didn't notice the mermaid coming closer again until he almost fell off the ladder when one of his feet was suddenly pulled off the rung. "Whoa!" He yelped and splashed his arm back to grip the rail of the ladder. "That's not food!" He insisted but needn't have worried. Even from above the surface, Kili could see that the mermaid was inspecting his foot and leg and likely not about to attempt chowing down on him.

He hoped.

Relaxing a little as he felt hands and claws move and scrape lightly over his skin, Kili huffed a quiet laugh when he realized that Fili was exploring. "I never thought about mermaids being as curious about humans as we are about mermaids." He flexed his toes which seemed to fascinate the mer a lot. "I guess that makes sense since you don't have legs or feet."

The water distorted Fili's face so that Kili couldn't see his expression, but a hand came up and Kili felt a a tapping on each toenail before all of his toes were moved forward and back by inquisitive fingers.  Seemingly satisfied with that, those fingers slid between the toes as the mer continued his inspection. It was hard to discern Fili's skin with the water as both were cool, but even with the light touch of nails, the mer's hand felt just as a human's would have.

Kili tried not to jerk away at the ticklish sensations of Fili's fingers and the wisps of hair that tickled along his calf. "Those are toes. They're like...fingers for the feet." He explained with a chuckle as he adjusted his grip so he wouldn't slide off.

Fili explored up to Kili's knee until he ran into Kili's shorts, taking the time to make the leg bend a couple of times to see how it worked. He was fascinated by the dark hairs growing along the appendage and Kili felt a stinging sensation in a couple of places where Fili decided to yank one or two hairs out. When the mer was done with that leg, he moved onto the other foot to make sure it was the same, though he didn't pull it away from the ladder.

When Kili was allowed to settle again and Fili's curiosity was sated for the time being, he held out the remainder of the grapes with his left hand. "Finish these and I'll bring you more tomorrow." He promised, almost bursting with the experience of what had just occurred. He couldn't wait to tell Thorin and Oin even if he did get in trouble for taking such a chance without help.

Whether Fili had heard or understood him, the mer surfaced again; this time coming up right between Kili's bent knees with a questioning chirp as he continued to seem captivated by human legs. He eventually spotted the last of the grapes held in Kili's left hand and forgot about exploring. He reached for them, but something caused him to stop, hand held just inched away.

Kili was about to ask what was wrong despite Fili not being able to answer when the mer's hand shifted a little and instead of taking the grapes, cold fingers gently laid themselves over the scars and fresh marks on Kili's forearm.

Kili held his breath when he felt the cool touch out of the water. It was rather startling on warm skin and caused a shiver to prickle along Kili's back and shoulders, but otherwise, Kili didn't move so as not to startle the mer who seemed intent on tracing each pink scar along Kili's skin with the pads of his fingers. He seemed to be conscious of his claws and was careful around the injuries.

When he touched a darker red one that had been made today, those blue eyes shifted to look at Kili's face. The next sound that Fili made was both quiet and sad and brought Kili back to the situation. It almost sounded like an apology.

"It's okay." Kili found himself saying as though Fili had actually apologized, keeping a gentle smile on his face and his tone calm and friendly. "You were scared. I don't blame you." He said honestly. Even if Fili couldn't understand his words, Kili was confident that he understood tone of voice as most animals did.

The sad expression on Fili's face didn't go away though, and Kili found himself wanting to do anything to make it disappear. "Look, you've apologized," At least Kili was going to take it that way, "Now here's my apology for making you go through hell the last few days and not realizing sooner it was because of a wetsuit." He moved the grapes a little closer so Fili would take the peace offering.

For a long moment, those blue eyes continued to stare at Kili's arm. Despite having been around Fili daily for almost two months now, his human like appearance was still rather shocking, especially this up close. If Kili didn't look down to see that long black tail, it would almost be easy to forget that Fili was a mermaid.

A clawed hand lifting from the water to take a grape from Kili's palm was a blunt reminder that he was. The sharp nails were as black as that tail and much thicker than a regular human's. But even so, they only tickled when they lightly scraped against Kili's skin as the grapes were taken.

Fili ate the fruit one at a time, munching slowly before giving Kili one last look and chirping as if to say thanks.

The brunet smiled at him, "You're welcome."

Then the mer disappeared beneath the surface and swam back toward his corner, probably having had enough of humans for the day.

Kili remained seated for a few more moments, basking in the elation he felt at such an interaction. Only hours before he’d been thinking he’d totally fucked up and that Thorin was eventually going to have to assign someone else as Fili’s handler. Instead, the mermaid had come closer than he ever had before and had actually taken it a step further by reaching out to Kili; he’d shown remorse and had actually made sounds that weren’t his usual array. For creatures that were known for supposedly leading men to their deaths with song, Fili was rather mute.

With the last few shitty days, Kili was happy with this change of pace and he smiled giddily as he slowly extracted himself from his position. “I’ll leave you be so you can recuperate.” He explained to the mer as he began to climb the ladder. “I’ll see you later, Fili.” He promised. He had his pretty girl to see.

 


	6. One Step Forward...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is it. After all the frustration, the heartache, the smiles, and the laughter, the day they have all been waiting for is finally here. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to [Blain](http://shabby-blog.tumblr.com) because of their amazing art [here](http://shabby-blog.tumblr.com/post/162415024572/well-i-wasnt-expecting-to-get-this-finished) and [here](http://shabby-blog.tumblr.com/post/161443154742/well-i-mucked-up-the-tail-last-time-and-i-just), and [Linane](http://linane-art.tumblr.com) for her [awesome edit](http://linane-art.tumblr.com/post/158545515996/a-sign-of-trust-by-mylittledragonhoard-photoset).
> 
> **ALSO** there are some links to be found in the content in the hope of giving you a better idea of what I'm trying to describe. My imagination is great but putting it into words is difficult. So I hope they help. (And yes I did use a Free Willy screen shot I found on the internet. Some of this fic is based off that movie you know ;D)

 

Kili's favourite thing these days was the fact that Fili always greeted him at the bottom of the ladder the moment the brunet began to climb down. Sure the mer was probably only interested in the food Kili always had with him, but the man would take any interaction he could get with the creature.

This morning Fili looked like he’d just woken up, eyes still a little droopy as he lazily floated along on his right side a few feet away from the ladder. Though it was submerged, Kili could see the gentle movements of that magnificent tail as it slowly shifted beneath the surface like a dark shadow.

“Hey buddy.” Kili grinned as he reached his usual rung on the ladder. Instead of situating himself so he could sit on it, he knelt down for a moment so he could greet the mermaid. “Did you get a good sleep last night?”

Blue eyes focused on him as Fili made a clicking sound from deep in his throat before emitting a couple of sleepy whistles that were mostly bubbles as his mouth was half under the surface. He’d been making more sounds that differed from his usual repertoire of unhappy screeching and angry growling the last week after the whole wetsuit fiasco, and Kili had begun to catalogue the ones he heard the most.

These were just sleepy content noises that would grow into impatient chirps the longer Fili was awake and went without breakfast.

Kili chuckled at the bubbles, “Well I’m glad to hear it.” He grinned before standing up again and continuing down the ladder until he reached the last step and was half submerged. From there he pushed off from the wall, heading toward the other side of the tank where a [ _contraption_](https://68.media.tumblr.com/ef6d428c10904848c5e75c4a4fb34238/tumblr_inline_oujtz7Bgad1toapn5_540.jpg) floated next to the opposite wall. It was made of plastic pieces of a floating dock, metal rods, and a [ _new harness_](https://68.media.tumblr.com/adb829d2f7e087c0950a18c2d99161e0/tumblr_inline_ouju04o4HH1toapn5_540.png) that was white in colour and very fluffy and soft on the inside.

Dwalin had rigged it up at Kili’s request at the beginning of the week in an attempt to get Fili used to the new harness that had been specifically bought because the mer wanted nothing to do with the old one. Instead of forcing the issue with the standard harness they’d had to use on him months ago, Thorin had just taken the easy route and bought an entirely different one that looked nothing like the  _[blue material](https://pdxccentric.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/1-36-09-fake-o-keiko-on-truck.jpg)._

The contraption Dwalin had built stretched the new harness out along the metal rods kind of like a hammock, and the parts of the dock made sure it continued to float. Kili had been spending a lot of time sitting atop it in the hopes that Fili would get used to its presence and not see it as a threat. It seemed to be working as the mer had begun to approach it.

Once having reached the crude raft, Kili tossed his bag of food onto it before hoisting himself out of the water and settling in the curve the material made. He took a moment to wring out his shirt and survey the tank, dark brows narrowing in confusion when he couldn't spot the almost ten foot mermaid who'd been there only moments before.

Kili couldn't explain the sudden jolt of panic that shot across his chest because it wasn't like Fili could go anywhere, "Fili?" No sooner was the name out of his mouth when he felt something press up from below the raft, almost dislodging Kili from his spot.

Laughter spilled from the brunet as he realized exactly where the mermaid was. "What are you even doing?" He giggled as he gripped the material behind him as another dull thud came from below when a tail nudged against one of the plastic dock pieces.

A moment later a figure appeared between Kili's legs, making a quiet rumbling somewhere inside his chest as he surfaced so that he could clearly chirp at the man. And that was a demanding chirp if Kili had ever heard one, but the brunet was more focused on the fact that Fili had not only come close to the raft but had actually touched it. He didn't seem to mind its presence at all now, and that lifted some of the weight Kili had been carrying around and replaced it with relief.

Predictably, the mermaid hadn't liked the structure at first but had slowly warmed to it over the past week since he’d begun to associate it with Kili. If the brunet was in the tank but not in the water, then he was sitting on the harness and had even been feeding Fili from there in hopes of making Fili come to see it as something safe and not dangerous. Bribing the mer with grapes had helped wonders, and Kili did not feel guilty for using the mer's love of the fruit to his own advantage.

That had led Kili and Oin to collectively decide to only use grapes as treats and snacks instead of including them in regular meals. (Kili tried his best to ignore how demeaning 'treats' sounded when he couldn't think of Fili as an animal.). They were still what gave Fili all the extra vitamins and nutrients he needed so he wouldn't be jipped any, but they were better used as incentive.

Of course Fili had noticed when his first meal was devoid of his favourite part, and he'd looked at Kili with such betrayal that it had taken everything the handler had had not to race back to the staff room and get Fili his damn grapes.

Kili didn't know what it was about sea creatures being able to manipulate him, but he was practically putty in their hands (or flippers) when they looked at him like that.

Fili had sulked for a little while but had realized at the mid-morning snack time that the grapes weren't gone forever and had been in a better mood. At least, he'd stopped scowling at Kili.

"Okay, okay. Your breakfast's right here. We have the usual today:  oranges, bananas, and raspberries." Kili announced as he dug through the bag. They hadn't really gotten a chance to introduce Fili to anything new, and now they were waiting until he was transferred to the larger tank. Oin hoped to live feed again and see how Fili took to fish.

Seeing that Kili was finally getting with the program and focusing on the food, the mer moved a little closer, making a soft whistling noise as well as a series of clicks as if to encourage Kili with his task, and he came so close to the handler that wisps of his hair floating in the water caressed against Kili's legs.

The brunet smiled as he withdrew his hand and held it out toward Fili to take what he wanted. He could have just tossed everything in the water and let Fili get it himself, but hand feeding him would help cement the trust between them. Plus it was fun, and as long as the mer had no issues with it, Kili was going to continue to do so for the most part.

Instead of grabbing everything from Kili's hand, Fili straightened in the water and peered closer at the selection so he could make the decision of what to eat first.

When Kili had brought Fili breakfast the day after the whole wetsuit incident, the mer surprised him by taking his time and actually picking and choosing what he wanted from the pile, and despite Fili looking things over, he always chose the same: raspberries, oranges, and then the bananas. Kili didn't know if he ate his favourites first or saved them until last, but he would only eat all of one before moving to the next group.

While this change in behaviour had been unanticipated a few days ago, Kili hadn't been surprised to learn that mermaids were capable of critical thought. He'd seen Fili make difficult decisions on multiple occasions, and he would forever defend the species against those who claimed them to just be stupid fish. (Like Gimli, but that was only because the man held a grudge against this particular mer.)

Fili made his decision and reached for the raspberries - as usual. The tips of his claws lightly scraped against Kili's palm with a delicacy that always made Kili smile. It felt like a tickle as a raspberry was picked up. The hand pulled back and Fili chirped to Kili before popping the berry into his mouth.

Kili couldn't speak mer of course, but he liked to think of it as a thank you. "You're welcome." He smiled as he watched the mer continue to eat, picking berry after berry until all the red ones were gone and then starting on the oranges.

Kili propped his head in the hand not holding out Fili's food, watching the mer with a particularly sappy grin on his face and being completely aware of its presence and the flack he'd get if Nori or Gloin spotted the expression. It was probably a weird thought, but after everything, Kili liked watching Fili eat. The mer took great pleasure in it, and the memories of protruding ribs and dull eyes were slowly fading to a point where Kili's heart didn't completely shatter when he thought back on them.

Getting the captive mermaid to eat was the greatest accomplishment of Kili's life so far considering nobody else in recorded history had been able to do it, but Kili was aiming for higher things. He still hoped Fili could be freed one day, and he wanted to help him achieve that.

"Do you think you'd enjoy fish if we tried again?" Kili mused as he pulled out a second handful of fruits, watching as Fili picked the raspberries first again. "We can't try in this tank since it’s too small and you could hurt yourself if you run into the walls or something." Kili frowned just a little. “But the new tank will have plenty of room.”

Fili paused in his eating upon seeing the frown and he looked at Kili with eyes bluer than the water they were surrounded by.

Seeing the mer's attention was on him, Kili instantly pushed the frown away and replaced it with a smile. "You'll be able to do a lot once we finally get you transferred you know." He insisted as Fili began to eat again, seeing as the frown disappeared.

Despite the fact that transferring Fili to a new tank had been talked about to death by the staff, Kili didn't mind talking about it to the mermaid in question. He'd spent the last week attempting to sell the idea to Fili in hopes of the mer understanding that they were trying to do something good and that it would be better for him. The brunet always managed to slip something about the new tank and how awesome it was compared to the bathtub that was the observation tank in to a conversation.

Fili always stared at Kili with his brows furrowed together at the usage of the word 'awesome'. It was adorable.

"It's thirty feet deep, Fili! That's twenty four feet more than you have here." Kili wrinkled his nose. The tank was also fifty five feet in diameter, and it was a joke compared to the entire ocean Fili had known before, but it was certainly a step up. "You'll be able to actually swim and dive and you won't get frustrated anymore because you can't burn off the energy."

The mer didn't seem to be paying attention to the conversation anymore as he contentedly munched away on another handful of fruit, having already finished off the raspberries again.

Kili sighed and rubbed his face with his free hand, a little disappointed that they seemed to be at a standstill. At least Fili wasn't afraid of this new harness anymore, though that remained to be seen once the raft was taken apart and the harness was used the way it was supposed to:  mainly transferring Fili.

The mermaid made a soft grunting sound from in front of him, and while it seemed a bit like a demand for attention, Kili could still feel the weight of fruit in his hand and knew that wasn’t the problem. "What is it?" The brunet asked as he finished rubbing at his eyes, lifting his head to see what the mer wanted - not that Fili could actually tell him.

An orange slice was suddenly shoved in Kili's face followed by an insistent chirp and an expectant look, though what exactly Fili was expecting was unknown to Kili.

Kili was a little bemused, "Don't you want it? Does it taste different from the rest?" He asked as he held out his hand, growing even more confused by the excited squeak Fili made as he dropped the slice into it. Kili inspected the fruit but there weren't even teeth marks in it. He looked at Fili again and held the fruit out to him, "You didn't even try it. Have you decided you don't want oranges anymore?"

In response Fili frowned, tilting his head as he studied Kili like he was trying to solve some complex math problem, complete with pursed lips and narrowed eyebrows. Eventually the mer took the fruit back, and Kili thought that was the end of it. But he was wrong.

The mer let out a frustrated huff before holding the fruit out in his hand much like Kili did at meal times. His fingers were purposely held flat and the slice of orange sat in the middle of his palm. He made that encouraging whistle-click combination and patiently continued holding out the fruit as he stared at Kili's face intently.

Kili took a breath and was about to explain that he didn't understand what Fili was wanting, but then the mer's intentions suddenly became clear and the brunet paused in realization.

Holy.  _Shit_.

He was...being offered food!

"Is this for me?" He asked, a large grin blossoming on his face as Fili's hand shoved a bit closer in an attempt to get the man to take it. "Are you trying to share your breakfast with me?" He tried to keep the question calm, but Kili was a sudden jumble of emotions on the inside as he finally picked the piece of fruit from Fili's hand.

The mer didn't even react at the contact though he was still rather wary of touch unless he initiated it, and even then it was usually him accidentally brushing against Kili because the tank was just too small to swim. Kili's legs and more specifically his feet still held a fascination, but whenever he seemed interested in exploring, he always seemed to change his mind at the last minute and would shyly duck beneath the surface for a while like he'd done before first taking food from Kili's hand. Mermaids were impossible to understand.

"I'm happy you're sharing with me, Fili, but this is your breakfast. Are you sure you want me to eat it?" Kili held the slice of orange in front of him.

This was a pivotal moment in their relationship, and Kili recognised that without question. His eyes actually began to burn a little with unshed tears because this was proof that all his dedication, frustration, and patience were paying off. He was making progress, and it could only get better from here.

The mer must have noticed his tears because he was suddenly making a series of  _[buzzing clicks](https://seaworld.org/en/animal-info/animal-infobooks/bottlenose-dolphins/communication-and-echolocation)_  and soft whines that sounded on the verge of becoming distraught. And his expression shifted into one of  _concern_  as he shifted about in the water, almost unsure if he should do something or flee.

"No, no, no." Kili's eyes widened as he comprehended the fact that Fili was showing true worry for him. "It's okay. I'm okay." He promised as he quickly placed the orange slice on his knee so he could wipe his eyes. He offered up a smile again. "Humans cry for a lot of reasons. These were happy tears, I promise." He explained to the agitated form.

Fili didn't seem to believe him. The wrinkle between his furrowed brows was deep, and it was actually hard to look into his eyes for a moment because Kili could see fear. He hated that expression on anyone, but it seemed to cut deep when it came from this mermaid. He never wanted Fili to feel afraid again; he'd had enough of that.

Kili knew what he would have done to assure another upset creature, but he really couldn't predict how the mermaid would react to the same gesture. Even still, it was the only way that came to mind, and there was almost a burning need to erase that expression from Fili's face.

Hesitantly, so the mer would have enough time to move away if he wanted to, Kili reached out with his free hand. It happened to be the arm that Fili had caught twice before, the last time having been just last week when Kili had unknowingly triggered the mer into a fit of defensive aggressiveness. By now even the deepest puncture wounds had mostly healed from that encounter, and it had been worth it in a way because Kili had learned a lot about Fili that day.

The main thing he'd learned had been that the mer hadn't meant to attack Kili, but instinct and fear had driven him to. The brunet could still vividly remember the almost dawning horror in Fili's eyes when the mer had realized what he'd done, and the way he had literally wrenched himself away to retreat back into the safety of his corner had been heartbreaking.

But it was because of that experience Kili was willing to take another chance now.

Fili's focus moved from Kili's face to his hand, and the mer immediately sunk lower in the water as he realized what the human planned. The last thing Kili wanted to do was push Fili further than the mer was willing to be pushed, so the brunet smiled sheepishly and allowed his hand to drop.

"Okay, probably too soon for that." Kili agreed gently, as he looked down at the innocent orange slice. "But I promise I'm fine. You just really surprised me, Fili, and it made me so very happy." He explained with a grin because despite his failed attempt at contact, the fact that Fili wanted to share his meal still remained real and still delighted Kili to no end. The entire building would know about it by the end of the day.

The orange slice was picked up once more and Kili popped it into his mouth, eyes on the mer as he did so. It was the sweetest tasting gift he'd probably ever gotten.

But it was nothing compared to the little wrinkles that suddenly appeared at the corners of Fili's eyes or the way the apples of his cheeks flushed a little as he made a happy squeaking noise - not to mention the two little indentations that appeared in both cheeks and deepened as the mer broke into an actual smile for the first time Kili had witnessed.

Though it didn't show off his teeth, it literally lit up the mer's entire face, making his eyes practically glitter like the sun did off the ocean surface, and for the moment Kili had never seen anything more breathtaking in his entire life.

He barely even noticed when a slice of banana was being offered to him until Fili chirped and made Kili focus again.

He realized they were out of oranges and had moved onto the bananas, and Fili was making encouraging little squeaks as he held out his hand once more.

Kili smiled as he took it, chuckling softly. "I don't think you appreciate the irony of  _you_  feeding  _me_ , Fili." He stated before eating the offered fruit.

Fili might not have appreciated the irony, but Kili certainly appreciated that grin he'd receive every time he took from Fili's hand.

Kili couldn't wait to see what would happen next meal.

***

The brunet hummed to himself as he practically skipped down the stairs into the staff area, heart still fluttering inside his chest at the morning he'd just experienced. The thought of the mer only made Kili's grin grow wider. He was heading toward the kitchen to prepare a snack for both himself and Fili in case the mer was still intent on sharing again, but he slowed down when he thought he could hear voices echoing along the cement halls.

It sounded like arguing.

Curious since the staff normally got along really well Kili walked passed the kitchen and headed toward Thorin's office where the voices were coming from.

"I still don't see why we can't just tranq him." Gimli's growl almost sounded like an explosion and made Kili stop just outside the door. The brunet wasn't usually one to spy, but he had a feeling he knew exactly who the 'him' that Gimli mentioned was, and the thought made him scowl darkly.

"I'm going to tranq  _you_  if you suggest that one more time." Oin voiced his own opinion about that, and Kili was glad he had the veterinarian on his side.

He knew some of the others were getting restless, worried that Kili was taking too long. No, it wasn't healthy for Fili to continue living in such a small area, but both Kili and Oin had been attentive in their observations of the mer. Fili was mainly frustrated and bored, but he continued to thrive.

Kili understood where they were coming from of course. Waiting was always the worst, and all anyone wanted was what was best for the mermaid, but Fili couldn't trust them. But it never mattered how frustrated Kili got; he couldn't blame Fili for his reactions to things going on around him, and getting upset at the creature would only make things worse. As a human Kili knew he couldn't comprehend what the mermaid was going through no matter how much he wished to, so all he could do was react accordingly to Fili's needs.

"Calm down, Gimli. We're all as frustrated as you are." Thorin muttered, probably sitting at his desk. He sounded as annoyed as Oin, and Kili could imagine the man pinching the bridge of his nose as he tried to alleviate an oncoming headache.

"I have to agree with my son." Gloin grunted his input. His shadow fell into the hallway as he was right near the door and leaning against the wall.

"Colour me surprised." Oin muttered.

"Nobody's tranqing the mermaid." Thorin all but growled and the room descended into silence, "And if the only reason for this meeting is because Kili isn't here to argue in Fili's defense, you're in for a rude awakening."

"All we're trying to do is get the mermaid from point A to point B." Gloin grumbled, his shadow shifting again. "This isn’t about Kili at all. We think the kid’s doing a great job! But we all know the effects of a creature being in a tank that’s too small for too long. Stress weakens the immune system. Boredom and frustration can lead to aggression and psychotic behaviour. And we already know mermaids will starve themselves to death, so the chance of self-mutilation is high. This could have been done and over with long before now. If this was any other creature—"

"But he's not." Thorin was quick to interrupt, though he tried to placate at the same time. "I understand where you’re coming from, Gloin, and if it were any other creature, I would be in agreement. But we can’t change the fact that we are dealing with a very delicate situation. We literally have no clue what we’re doing, and as the only mermaid to survive this long in any sort of captivity, we have to take this as slow as Fili needs so he will continue to survive as long as it's not putting his life in danger. He isn't suffering immensely just yet, so we’ll continue to wait.”

Something landed on Kili’s shoulder and he jumped about a foot in surprise, just managing to keep a squeak from being released. He looked behind him and found Dwalin standing there, large hand gripping Kili's shoulder gently.

The brawny man was wearing a frown, and though it was quite formidable, Kili had built up an immunity over the last few months since he'd been on the receiving end of one of Thorin's frowns at least every other day. In Kili’s defense, it wasn’t his fault that dealing with a mermaid meant putting oneself into situations that the boss didn’t fully approve of.

A shift of Dwalin's eyes toward the room and the frown deepening let Kili know that the expression wasn't being directed at him. "Ignore them, lad. We're all proud of what you've been doing. I very strongly doubt that anybody else could have been able to accomplish the things you have. They’re frustrated and worried, but they believe in you just as I do." His voice was quiet so as not to draw attention from anyone in the room. His frown shifted into a smug grin that  _was_  directed at Kili as he messed up the brunet's hair.

Before Kili could say 'thanks' or 'hey!', Dwalin moved and disappeared into Thorin's office. He wasn't the type to stick around for heartfelt moments, but Kili appreciated his encouragement and support nonetheless.

"What's this?" He heard Dwalin ask when he stepped inside the room.

"Airing concerns." Thorin answered.

"Concerns eh?" Dwalin repeated. "About the mermaid I suspect. Who, I might add, is alive and eatin’. You boys have done a fantastic job of that."

There was a moment of confused silence. "We haven't done anything." Nori sounded unsure, and Kili hadn't realized he was there too.

"Exactly." Dwalin's voice turned gruff, "So unless your name is Oin or Kili, nobody gets to 'air' their concerns. Especially not when Fili's handler isn't here to put your worries at ease." Kili could imagine Dwalin eyeing each man in the room with his 'ye best be listening to me now' expression, and the thought made him smile. "Now," his tone shifted into excitement, "I was lookin’ for Oin and thought I'd find him in his medical bay. Clearly he had other commitments to see to, but you know what I did find?"

"What?" Gloin asked gruffly, sore about being reprimanded like a child.

"No mermaid."

That jolted something in Kili's chest even as the others expressed their own statements of shock and confusion. The feeling was very similar to the one he'd had earlier that morning when he couldn't immediately see Fili.

"What do you mean  _no mermaid_?" Oin demanded and there was movement as though the good doctor had gotten up to see for himself. “Isn’t Kili with him?”

"Calm down, doc." Dwalin soothed. "There’s somethin’ you should see. Kili, you might as well join us." He called out a little louder.

Kili winced. He hadn't wanted his presence to be known. But it was too late now. He stepped into the doorway and leaned against the frame.

Thorin's office wasn't exactly big but there was normally enough room for a couple of people among the filing cabinets, bookshelves, desk, and the multitude of loose papers that Thorin liked to pretend were in some sort of order. But with six other men in it there was barely any room at all. He stayed in the doorway so as not to add to the sardine-in-a-can feeling.

Kili felt a slight surge of satisfaction when most everyone avoided eye contact with him, but his focus was quickly on other important matters. Dwalin still hadn't bothered explaining what he’d meant by  _no mermaid_ , and he was flipping through the camera views on a screen hanging over the couch.

Every tank was monitored by a security camera as were almost every room in the place. There were some exceptions like all bathrooms, the bunker where the staff sometimes slept, Thorin's office, and the staff room. The footage was rarely viewed unless there was a problem somewhere that needed to be looked into. Usually it was just when a visitor had wandered into an area they weren't supposed to. The footage was always reviewed to see if they'd done anything malicious. That had luckily never been the case and was usually just a kid who'd gotten lost coming from or going to the bathroom.

The moment the view of Fili's tank was maximised on the screen, Dwalin's meaning became clear. One couldn't see the mermaid from below when he was floating above instead.

"Is...is he sunbathing?" Nori voiced as they all processed the image of the mer as he lounged on top of the harness.

"Well I’ll be damned.” Thorin muttered as he stood from his chair, wanting to get a closer look even though the screen was already significantly big. “Mermaids are said to bask in the sun, but it’s rarely been witness by humans since the species is so shy." Thorin explained to those who hadn't read a billion books and articles on mermaids.

From everything Kili had read, mermaids liked to sun themselves on rocks. Sources argued about the reasons why; some stated it was  _just because_. Mers weren’t the only aquatic species that liked to warm themselves after all, while other sources stated it was to dry out their scales to prevent parasites from attaching to them.

Whatever the reasons Fili had felt the need to bask, and Kili watched with a giant grin on his face as the mermaid on the screen made himself comfortable. He wiggled a little so that his body shifted to fit in the slight dip in the middle of the harness, and his long tail trailed off the very end much like Kili had done with his legs a couple of times when he'd reclined across the structure in the last few days. What really stood out to Kili the most was that Fili had pushed it away from the wall and toward the ladder so that it would float in the area the sun hit. None of the tanks were completely exposed to the sun without some shade, and since Fili's tank was specifically for medical purposes, his tank only had a small exposure.

He settled for a bit, but then shifted again. His expression showed his uncertainty as he kept glancing up toward the ladder, as if he was checking to see if anyone was there. Kili bet that if Fili heard someone coming near, he'd be back in the water before his tank could be approached. It was just a good thing that mermaids didn't know about security cameras.

"I think it's safe to say that we'll be transferring him soon." Thorin spoke as he watched the screen, all gruffness from before gone. He turned to Kili, obvious pride in his eyes as he clapped his hands on both the brunet’s shoulders and shook him once in his happiness, "How long has he been doing that?"

Kili glanced at a clock that ticked away over one of the filing cabinets. "As far as I know about twenty minutes. He wasn't up there when I was with him, but he had no problem bumping into it today." He laughed at the sudden sensation of happiness that washed over him. Their biggest hurdle was Fili and the harness, and while there might still be a few issues when they attempted to move him, they were one step closer now. “He uh...also shared his breakfast with me today too. Was pretty adamant about it actually. He even held out the fruit like I do for him." That sappy grin formed on his face as he thought back on it.

"Wait." Gimli looked at the screen, " _That_  mermaid fed  _you_?" He snorted in amusement, "The irony."

"That's what I said." Kili laughed, elated by the whole situation.

Thorin erupted into laughter. His face flushed a little from the force of it, and his pleased smile didn't seem to want to leave. "It sounds like you've been adopted by your mermaid. At least I won't have to worry about you not eating again." His eyes twinkled when he glanced at Kili to see his reaction as he was teased.

Kili snorted and pretended to pout at that jab, but he supposed it was warranted and he was in high spirits. "It kind of does." He finally admitted, "Why would he suddenly insist on it? Giving up food is huge to anim - well, wild uh...creatures." He stumbled over the word 'animals'. He couldn't associate Fili with that word at all.

"Beings?" Thorin suggested, knowing and understanding Kili's struggle to classify his charge.

"Maybe it's not as surprising as we think it is." Oin interjected, "You've done plenty of reading about his kind, so you know that mers are typically social creatures that thrive in large colonies. Fili's young, we don't know how young exactly yet, but young enough. He would have been a part of a colony and he would have had that interaction."

"He doesn't have that here." Kili frowned. He'd already thought of what Fili was missing in the wild, and the thoughts just depressed him.

"No, he doesn't." Thorin squeezed his shoulder, "But he has you." He gave Kili a meaningful look that was probably supposed to drive home the fact that things were working out for the better, but all Kili could think about was how horrible a substitute he made for the mer's family.

"Regardless, it seems like he's accepting you and is concerned for you. He never sees you eat, so by feeding you he ensures you are." Oin attempted to wipe the frown from Kili's face.

"Aw, the mermaid wants to make sure Kili's eating properly. Isn't that cute?" Nori baby talked as he smirked from behind Thorin, safely out of reach.

"Sickeningly adorable." Gimli chuckled - more like cackled in Kili's opinion. It turned into a squeal when Kili launched himself at the other man and the two tumbled down onto the couch.

"So now what's the plan?" Gloin ignored the children as he turned to Thorin. "He's obviously not afraid of the harness anymore and the tank's ready."

Thorin looked back at the screen, watching the motionless mer soaking up the sun for a moment. "We'll wait until Sunday when we have more time in the morning." He decided. The facility opened to the public at noon on Sundays, and it was one of the less busy days anyway. "Anybody have anything they'd like to add?"

"Can we try a live feed?" Kili grunted as he took an elbow to his ribs. "We'll throw Gimli in the tank and let Fili eat him."

"Throw you in the tank!" Gimli growled as he tried to get out from under Kili weight.

"That won't do anything. He likes me." Kili smirked. "You know what, never mind. You'll just give him indigestion if you don't outright poison him." He glanced up at the clock and saw Thorin and Gloin roll their eyes at the same time. "Speaking of food, I should get his actual lunch ready." He grinned sheepishly before jumping off of Gimli's back and fleeing the room before the redhead could catch him.

***

Over the next few days, Kili learned it was a good idea to eat less for breakfast or forgo it altogether because Fili continued to want to share. It also meant bringing an extra portion of fruit so Fili could have a full meal.

It was  _not_  a good idea for that extra portion to contain slices of apple.

Fili made sure to remind him.

***

Sunday morning rolled around too quickly and not quickly enough.

Kili had slept in the bunker, though saying he actually got any sleep was generous. He was anxious and excited, which had him tossing and turning for most of the night. He eventually gave up on the idea and wandered over to Lady's tank until everyone else arrived.

By seven everything was hooked up and ready, and Kili felt like he was about to jump out of his skin.

This was it.

They were finally transferring Fili after so long. After sixty four days, he'd be in his new home. He honestly hoped everything went smoothly and that the mer cooperated. He knew it was a long shot, but Kili was an optimist.

"We can't do anything else until you do your part." Dwalin announced, looking at Kili. Dwalin had taken the raft with the harness apart the night before and had hooked everything up when he'd arrived that morning. The crane had been moved into position and everyone had been given their instructions.

Now they were just waiting on Kili. As usual.

But after finally getting to this moment, Kili found himself hesitating as his anxiety became almost unbearable. He gripped the snack bag in his hands before remembering why that was a bad idea and quickly let go.

"What if he doesn't forgive me?" He asked as he stared at the ladder that would lead him down into the observation tank for hopefully the last time. At least the last time when there was a mermaid at the bottom.

"I'm sure he'll know you meant no harm and did it to help." Thorin said but it wasn't a reassure.

After getting closer than he'd ever been to the mermaid the last few days, Kili was terrified he'd lose it now, that Fili would blame him - or god forbid grow afraid of him.

"It feels like a betrayal." He admitted quietly and was glad that Thorin was the only one in earshot. He felt like his boss would be the only one to really understand at this moment, whether that was true or not.

"Have a little more faith in you mermaid, Kili," was Thorin's advice. "You've made it this far, and though it hasn't been easy, you've always done your best to do what's right for Fili. I don't doubt he knows that, and he might not see it right away, but he will eventually."

The words both helped and made Kili feel worse, but he knew this transfer had to happen. "Thanks Thor." He said as he took a deep breath, steeling himself before he began the climb down the ladder.

Fili met him at the bottom as usual, squealing and clicking a greeting before Kili even said anything.

"Hey buddy." No matter how twisted up inside he'd been a moment ago, seeing Fili and knowing he was doing what was right helped. He grinned at the mer as he made himself comfortable on the ladder rung.

The mer whistled before blowing bubbles in Kili's direction, ducking under a little as he moved closer. If he was curious as to why the raft had been taken out or why Kili was back to sitting on the ladder, he made no sign.

“Are you ready for breakfast?” The brunet asked as he held the snack bag so Fili could see before he reached inside.

The mer let out a series of low croaking clicks as he straightened so that he was bobbing upward in the water, swimming even closer the way he’d been doing so they could share. They still weren't at the point where Fili wanted to be touched, but he allowed their hands to brush when Kili took whatever the mer offered him.

Kili paused for a moment, second guessing himself once more, but ultimately pulling his hand out so he could show Fili what was on the menu today. Grapes. Because it was the one food that Fili wouldn’t share.

The mer perked up when he spotted the green grapes sitting in Kili’s palm, and he squealed happily as he reached out a hand to take them. Kili let him, feeling more and more horrible for every grape that passed Fili’s lips. The mer didn’t even question why he was being given his favourite food even though this was breakfast time. Kili felt like a monster for taking advantage this way.

It took sixteen grapes before Kili noticed anything, and at first it was that Fili’s attention span was beginning to wander and he began to chew at a slower pace. He began to eat more slowly and his sounds grew soft.

The nineteenth grape made it to his lips but never passed because the mermaid caught on to what was going on. The sound he made when he realized what was happening made Kili’s heart ache with the amount of sorrow it held. The grape was thrown toward Kili and the mer disappeared beneath the surface.

“Fili wait!” Kili called, standing up on the ladder to try and get a better view of the mer. He caught the shadow of that dark tail near Fili’s corner, but the mer wasn’t staying there. The shape clumsily darted around the tank in an attempt to shake off the drowsiness, but that wasn’t how sedatives worked. When the swimming didn’t work, Fili took to thrashing near the surface, splashing water in all different directions and causing havoc in the small area.

“Fili, please.” Kili pleaded though he wasn’t sure what he was pleading for. For Fili to stop? To understand? “It’s going to be okay.” He promised instead, gripping the ladder tightly as he continued to watch the mer struggle.

Eventually the thrashing died down as Fili ran out of the energy to keep going, and once the sounds of the crashing water ebbed, Kili realized the mer was making soft, pitiful whining sounds.

They broke Kili’s heart.

“It’s going to be okay, Fili.” He promised quietly as he slowly made his way down the ladder again, snack bag forgotten as he’d dropped it in the water. He moved cautiously, unsure if Fili would conjure a surge of energy and maybe try to attack out of spite. But even when the brunet was treading water away from the ladder, the mer hadn’t moved from where he floated along the surface, and he hadn’t stopped crying.

Because that’s exactly what he was doing.

“It’s okay buddy.” Kili repeated as he moved closer, knowing that the water in the tank was beginning to recede only because of how much he could touch the bottom without going under. “Nothing bad’s going to happen to you, okay? I’m here to protect you and make sure you’re safe. You’re safe with me, remember? I promise.” He murmured in what he hoped was a soothing tone, desperate for Fili to understand.

Bloodshot blue eyes shifted to stare at him, and any thought of the mer attacking melted from Kili’s mind. Fili looked utterly devastated as his face crumpled upon seeing Kili, and it felt like a punch to the chest when the mer realized how close he was and tried to move away.

“Fili please.” Tears blurred Kili’s vision as he tried again, able to walk normally through the water as he got closer but made sure not to touch the other. He knew his touch would definitely not be welcome right now, even if it had been earlier. “This is for the best, okay? All we want to do is keep you calm so you don’t panic and hurt yourself. We’re going to be lifting you, and it’s best if you don’t thrash once we get you in the harness. I know you don’t like it, and I’m so, so sorry.” His voice trembled with emotion.

“I understand you’re afraid, but you don’t have to be.” Kili implored as he waited for the water level to lower more. It needed to be about waist level before the harness would be dropped in. Until then, Kili could try his best to soothe the creature. “You were caught with a harness, weren’t you? Lured into one by someone wearing a wetsuit? Did they bait you with fish? Is that why you refuse to eat it?” Kili asked though he wasn’t expecting an answer and would probably never know the truth. All he knew was what he’d read about mermaid poaching and the little clues from Fili's behaviour.

Mermaids caught for trophies were caught in harnesses to avoid as much damage as possible, while mermaids hunted for their fins were caught in nets so that the poachers had easier access to the fins through the holes in the net. Luring young and curious mermaids was rather easy if one had the right tools and knowledge.

Fili made a low pitiful groan that ended in a high pitched squeak that was almost a whimper but otherwise didn’t react.

Reaching out to comfort him was almost a physical need and Kili clenched his fingers around his upper arms to stop himself. “Nothing like that is going to ever happen to you again, Fili.” He had vowed to himself multiple times before, but now Kili was saying it out loud. “I won’t let anyone hurt you again.”

The water had reached his shoulders now and Kili could easily stand on the bottom. "All that's going to happen is you're getting a new home. I've told you about it, remember? It's bigger and you have so much more space. I know you'll understand when you see it. Please, just...trust me." Kili pleaded to the being again, looking Fili right in the eye in hopes of that proving he was being sincere. He was utterly desperate in getting the mermaid to believe and utterly terrified that this had ruined everything built up between them.

There had been times before when Kili had thought the same, but once the moments were over the brunet had been able to see more clearly and the situations hadn't been as bad as he'd thought.

But this...

This was bad. It felt like a betrayal because it  _was_  a betrayal.

Fili was never going to come near him again.

The thought of everything crumbling down around him brought tears to Kili's eyes, and before he could stop it a sob was forced from his chest. He bit down on the second one and closed his eyes tightly, breathing deeply through his nose in an attempt to calm down. It wasn't working though and he could feel the pressure mounting in his chest.

Fili whistled softly and something touched his cheek, making his eyes fly open.

The mer had reached out with his hand and had swiped at an escaped tear on Kili's face. The movement was sluggish and he let his arm drop into the water as holding it up was too much of an effort. He whistled again, sounding almost like a sigh, and it gave Kili a little hope that the mer understood.

It was tiny hope, but Kili clung to it with all his might.

A shadow appeared above them and Kili looked to find the harness being lowered a few feet away from him. Thorin and Oin appeared along the top of the tank, and the veterinarian began to descend into the water.

"Let's see how our friend is doing." Oin said gently as he sloshed over, but his tone would never make a difference. Fili's eyes narrowed at the sound of his voice and he still had the energy to growl. "Yes, yes. We've established how much you dislike me, but you're just going to have to endure for a moment." Oin unwrapped a stethoscope from around his neck.

Fili gave one last attempt to get away but the struggle only lasted a few seconds before he gave up and allowed the vet to touch the end of the stethoscope to his chest. He continued to growl though, a constant rumbling that must have been loud in Oin's ear.

Kili worked with the harness while Oin checked on Fili, pulling the material down and spreading the sides out better in the water.

"His heart and lungs are strong. He'll be fine." Oin promised.

"Great. Let's just get this over with." Kili mumbled, unhappy with everyone right then. He turned back to the mer, who was watching them closely. "Do you remember this?" Kili wiggled one side of the harness, "Remember how soft this is?" He pet the inside so Fili could see the lining. "We're going to lift you with it, and before you know it you'll be in your new home. Can you swim forward, Fili?" Kili requested on a whim. He'd otherwise have to drag Fili's body into the harness, and Fili had already established that he didn't want to be touched.

Blue eyes struggled to focus on Kili for a moment, but when they did they held steady. Kili could sense he was being assessed, Fili trying to decide whether or not he truly could trust this human. To the surprise of both men, he pushed himself forward as much as he could. Kili and Oin looked at each other but didn't have time to discuss this revelation. They’d suspected that Fili could understand at least most of what they were saying, but they’d never gotten solid proof until no.

Kili rushed over to the end of the harness where Fili's head was going to end up, and he stood at the end while Oin climbed out of the tank. His presence was no longer needed.

"Almost there buddy, use the harness if you have to." He encouraged as he watched the mer glide farther into the sling. "Okay. That's good, Fili. You're doing so good." He promised as he checked over the mer's positioning, not wanting any limbs to bend wrong once they pulled him out of the water.

Once he'd checked on Fili's tail and was satisfied that it was straight, he was back up by his head. "We're almost done, okay?" Kili promised before he climbed up to sit along one of the support beams attached to the top. He looked up at Thorin and nodded to give the signal.

There was a whirling sound and the harness began to rise out of the water.

Fili squeaked and whimpered at the movement, closing his eyes tightly as the walls of the harness began to close around him as they were pulled tight. Kili kept an eye on him as they paused inches above the water so he could do a quick double check of everything.

"We're good." He called up even as something scratched at his foot, which was dangling inside the harness with Fili. The mer was positioned on his back, and the brunet could see him struggling, arms sluggishly waving about, almost as if he were looking for something.

He let out a loud unhappy squeal.

"It's okay Fili, almost there." Kili promised but his voice only made the mer more insistent. "Hey, hey. You have to hold still, okay?" Kili reached down on impulse and grabbed a hold of one of Fili's flailing hands.

Instead of pulling away like Kili expected him to, Fili held on as tightly as he could with the sedatives making him weak. He whimpered but stopped moving.

A smile managed to form on Kili's face despite his lingering worries of what was to come after all this. He squeezed the cold hand in what he hoped would translate as support. "Almost there." He repeated quietly as the harness was lifted completely out of the tank.

Thorin, Gloin, and Gimli appeared as Dwalin used the crane to slowly swing its important bundle in the direction of the new tank. Their job was to stabilize the sling and make sure it didn’t swing or shift directions.

It was slow moving, but Kili continued his quiet assurances, promising Fili that he was okay, that nobody was going to hurt him, and how close they were to the tank. He leaned his forehead on the other support bar, completely focused on Fili and not the movements of their ride.

The mer kept his eyes clenched tightly shut, but that didn't stop the tears that streaked his cheeks or the quiet whimpers that he continuously emitted.

"Kili." Thorin's voice made Kili look away from the mer and he realized they'd reached the tank already.

It was somewhat of an odd shape, rounded at the furthest end with all open water which was opposite to a square area where there was a large ledge built just beneath the proper waterline so that staff could enter the tank. Kili had never seen it from a high view, but he thought it kind of resembled a lightbulb.

The harness was hovering just over the edge of the larger tank, and the team was waiting on his signal to begin to lower it.

He looked back at Fili and made sure his position was safe after his struggling. "We're good." Kili promised.

Thorin gave Dwalin a wave and they began to lower toward the water.

"We're getting you back into the water now, Fili. Just a few more minutes." Kili's heart was beating rapidly in his chest from adrenaline, and he was so glad it would finally be over. Then they could focus on the aftermath and what their actions might have caused.

He watched as they were lowered down, squeezing Fili's hand and trying to get his attention. "Here's the water buddy." He said as the harness finally touched down into the water. Dwalin was lowering them slow so as not to startle or displace the mer, so the water slowly seeped into the harness from both sides.

Feeling the cool touch to his tail and head made the mer stir, squeaking faintly as he tried to wiggle out of the sling. His body refused to listen to him though.

"Hold on, let more water come in." Kili spoke and that made the mer glance up at him.

He realized he was still holding Kili's hand and immediately let go as if burned. He tucked his arms in front of him and held them close, practically cowering at the bottom of the sling and refusing to look at Kili while enduring the wait for more water.

Kili felt awful seeing the mer acting so timid toward him after the last few days. There were so many things he wanted to say, but he didn’t know where to start. Eventually he sighed and settled on, “I’m sorry, Fili.”

That was all it took to get the mer moving, shifting and wiggling until he was finally able to get free of the harness. Kili wanted to help but stayed right where he was, figuring Fili would rather do it on his own.

A look of confusion at all the sudden openness when he was used to being closed in by high walls crossed his face, but his attention span was practically nonexistent at the moment and instinct was probably screaming at him to find someplace safe because he was vulnerable.

So Kili wasn’t surprised when, after a few moments of floating along the surface to get his bearings, that blond head disappeared beneath the water and the dark shadow headed toward what probably felt like the safest spot in this strange new area, disappearing beneath the little shelter created by the underwater platform.

***

Kili stayed near the tank all night, hoping that having slept off the sedative all day Fili might come out looking for food or…anything.

But he didn’t.

And when food was tossed into the tank the next day, it continued to float in the calm movements of the water for hours going completely untouched.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank everyone again for their comments and kudos. I'm not exaggerating when I say I started rewriting this chapter ten times and scrapped everything because I hated the way it came out. I started feeling like I wasn't good enough to even write it, but then I'd reread all your wonderful and lovely comments and they'd give me the motivation to try again. So thank you <3


	7. Second Chances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone deals with the aftermath of Fili’s transfer. Some deal with it better than others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so you guys realize it's actually _my_ job to make _you_ cry okay? Not the other way around. I was absolutely stunned by the response the last chapter received. Your continued support and uplifting comments are appreciated more than I can explain because words utterly fail me. I know I repeat myself a lot when replying to them, but please know that it's either that or be babbling on like an idiot because you've made me so utterly happy.
> 
> This chapter is dedicated to the Anonymous Author from the Secret Admirers/Gathering Secrets FiKi advent that happened in August. [They wrote an adorable FiKi fic for me for the event!](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11856954)
> 
> Shabbyblog also created [this wonderful piece](http://shabby-blog.tumblr.com/post/164305811582/reupload-because-i-forgot-the-scars-the) of Fili feeding Kili!

When Thorin arrived at Erebor, it seemed way too early in the day to be up and about, but he supposed that's what happened when one hadn't slept the night before.

He leaned back in the driver's seat after shutting off the engine of his truck and closed his eyes for a moment, listening to the ticking as the engine cooled down and trying to ignore the fuzzy lull that was trying to pull him back to sleep. It was going to be another long day.

He was used to long days, enjoyed them most times since they meant a full schedule and plenty to do. These last few long days had been just the opposite though:  not much to do and too much time to think and worry. It didn’t help matters that even when he wasn’t at work he was still thinking and worrying.

A sudden brightness appeared against the backs of his eyelids, and he slowly cracked his eyes open to see that the sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon to the east, dancing over the shifting ocean and casting the islands off the coast the facility was located on into shadow.

It was a breathtaking sight and had a calming effect on one's soul, and, aside from being so close to the ocean itself, this view was one of the reasons why he'd bought the land here to build Erebor. With the remote location of the facility, one got to witness the rise of the sun, but also got to see the setting of it too. Though Thorin was rarely free by the time the sun was setting, he hadn't been able to imagine his day without it starting just like this.

Well, almost like this. Today he really couldn't summon the energy to appreciate it the way he normally did.

Releasing a long and tired sigh, he rubbed at his eyes before grabbing a bag sitting in the passenger's seat and climbing out of his truck to begin the day.

Before heading to his office, he made a routine walk-around to all the active tanks, doing a check on their residents and having a quick once over the enclosures to see if anything needed to be done today aside from the regular tasks. All was quiet up top, and only the new penguin chicks seemed to be awake at this time, almost cooing as the four of them gathered together in a crèche for warmth despite the higher temperature of their quarantine room.

They'd been brought to the facility the week during what the staff was calling _The Wetsuit Fiasco_ , and Ori had been busy doing his best to nurse them back to health as he was Erebor’s penguin expert. They hadn't even fledged yet and were too young to be without parents, but Thorin could see a noticeable improvement from the first day he'd laid eyes on them. Ori was doing a good job.

He continued up to the tank he was saving for last because then he could attempt to drag Kili to the bunker so the young man could actually get some sleep.

Kili had taken to staying during the night at the facility again because Fili had stopped eating. Thorin hadn't bothered fighting him, knowing the young man's guilt over having to trick the mermaid was eating him up inside. At least this time was different than the first when Kili had moped the entire time, and had instead been keeping himself busy around the facility when he could. Thorin always found him sitting by Fili's new tank in the morning.

He stopped on the observation deck that overlooked the tank, but Kili was nowhere to be seen this morning. He eyed the water in the tank in case Kili had had the bright idea to get in, but it was calm and there seemed to be no body within the water. He knew that Fili was hiding beneath the underwater platform right below him though, and had been since he disappeared beneath it four days ago.

Four very long days.

He let out a long sigh as he peered over the railing and into the seemingly empty tank. "You don't realize it, but he only cares about what's best for you." He found himself saying. His only response was a couple of seagulls crying out from outside the facility. The water in Fili’s tank remained as calm as before.

"Talking to the fish?" A voice from behind startled him, but Thorin didn't have the energy to jump.

He turned to find Nori coming toward the tank, doing his rounds since he was on night shift this week. "Maybe. I'm not even sure if he's listening." Thorin admitted. "Where's Kili? This is the first time he hasn’t been here when I arrive.”

Nori smirked as he motioned to the tank, "Made the kid go sleep in the bunker. He looked like he was going to fall in any moment, and I figured you'd appreciate not letting him get chewed on." He teased with a slight grin.

Apparently Nori had done what Thorin hadn’t been able to if that were true. "I do appreciate it. Some days I wonder how he's managed to get this far in life." Thorin attempted to smother a yawn this time as it crept up on him.

Nori snorted in amusement, "Well, he hasn't had his heart tied up in knots over a mermaid all his life." He pointed out as he leaned his arms on the safety railing above the tank. Before the transfer this action would have drawn a snarling mer to the surface of the tank since Fili didn't like Nori, but everything remained as it was. Too quiet.

"No, no he hasn't." Sometimes Thorin wondered if he'd made a mistake in giving this assignment to Kili, and not because he thought Kili couldn't do it. Clearly he'd been the best choice, and Thorin would always support the young man the best he could. But at what cost to Kili? The emotional roller coaster that came with it was hard on him, and he'd probably been more stressed these last couple of months than he ever had been before.

Thorin would never say these thoughts out loud though. He didn't _doubt_ Kili. He just wished it could be easier on him.

After a quick rundown of the night, (Nori had done his regular rounds, had played with Lady for a while which was not out of the ordinary for any of the staff, and had done a little maintenance on their cooling unit for the food. Nori was also helping Ori out with feeding the penguin chicks at night and had been doing that every few hours as well) Thorin threw one last look into the tank before making his way to his office.

Even before he reached the room, he knew someone was in it. The light coming from the open doorway was too bright to be from the window that looked out into one of the temporary tanks.

He stepped inside the dimness and saw that the security monitor was the source of the light, and the fact that the maximised view was of Fili's tank told Thorin just who the shadowy figure stretched out along his couch was. Not that it could have been anyone else with those snores. It seemed Nori hadn’t been as successful as he’d thought.

Reluctantly turning on the light, Thorin expected the sudden brightness to wake Kili up, but the young man continued to sleep on, face down and smooshed against an old cushion that did little to muffle his sounds. The way he'd squished himself to fit on the smaller couch would have been comical any other day, but Thorin had no idea when he'd finally passed out and he still looked utterly exhausted.

Sighing in exasperation like a parent would, Thorin stepped over to a small closet that was just on the other side of his desk and placed in the corner of the room. From it he produced an old worn afghan that he spread out over Kili's form. "Brat." He muttered affectionately before going back to his desk.

After hanging a sign that read _'be quiet or you'll be on tank cleaning duty'_ , Thorin settled himself at his desk so he could get some work done. At least he’d have a couple of hours of peace and quiet.

Kili snorted and shifted in his sleep.

Well, almost quiet.

It was around noon when the lump on the couch finally stirred. Thorin stopped typing and glanced over, seeing Kili's eyes open but knowing from the somewhat glazed expression the younger man wasn't exactly awake.

After rubbing the sleep away, Kili blinked at him owlishly before he made a particular sound of amusement that only he understood. "I was dreaming about Fili clicking at me, but it was your keyboard." He explained with an almost grin, but then a frown appeared as the memory of the mer probably came to him. "What time is it?"

"Time for you to go home to sleep in your own bed." Thorin tried his best not to make it sound like an order, but he doubted his efforts worked. He also doubted Kili would actually listen.

And he was right.

Kili made another sound but this time there was no amusement present. He didn't have to tell Thorin that there was a snowball's chance in Hell of that happening. He managed to sit up, pushing the afghan off him as he continued to try to wake up, staring at it in confusion for a second before probably figuring out how it got there. He scratched at the stubble on his face, yawning so widely that Thorin heard his jaw crack from the other side of the room. With a hesitant motion to the screen above him, he wondered, "Has he...?"

"No." Thorin shook his head, not needing him to finish the sentence. "But he'll make an appearance eventually." He had faith in that. He couldn't believe that all the good they'd done had been for nothing and this time the mermaid really had given up. It went against what they’d learned about Fili’s personality. No, this wasn’t the mer giving up. This was the mer sulking. "You've slept most of the day. Why don't you take the rest of the day off and spend some time away from here?" Never mind the fact that this was technically Kili's day off already, and he'd been spending them at the facility for months anyway.

"Nah. Got stuff I need to do." Which was horrible code for spending time at Fili's tank hoping that today was the day the mer decided to show himself.

Thorin felt like smacking his face against his keyboard. He honestly didn't know whose stubbornness was worse - Kili's or Fili’s, but one or both of them were going to drive him clinically insane if things went on this way. Instead of going through with the urge, he counted to ten silently. "I figured as much. You should add talking to Oin on your list of things to do - and no," he interrupted as he watched Kili's face go white at the mention of their veterinarian and the brunet opened his mouth to speak, "there isn't anything wrong." He promised, "Now get out of my office and go talk to Oin."

Knowing he'd be more likely to have his questions answered by Oin, Kili left the room without another word.

***

The vet was sitting at his desk when Kili entered, and it seemed like charts and graphs and what looked like test tubes had spilled out of an open box that sat tipped on its side, spreading out all over the usually immaculate desk. The older man was muttering to himself as he read over a rather lengthy letter, reading glasses perched on the tip of his nose.

The brunet stepped closer to the desk, habitually turning to look through the observation window that led to the tank outside. He flinched as he realized what he was doing since it wasn't the first or even second time. After months of always checking, it was going to take a while before he stopped expecting to see Fili through the window.

"Hey doc." He greeted tiredly. He still felt like he could sleep another twelve hours, but that had become his regular way of being since a blue eyed mermaid had come into his life.

Oin didn't look up from his letter, an annoyed frown stuck on his face. "Have a nice nap did you?"

Kili flushed, wondering how many people had walked into Thorin's office while he'd been asleep. "Ah, yeah." He motioned to the mess on top of Oin's desktop. "What's all this? Usually it’s Thorin’s desk that looks like disaster.”

"This," The greying man moved the letter in his hand, "is a lot of ass kissing." He grunted before folding it up and sticking it in the top drawer of his desk. If it had been Thorin's desk, that letter might as well have been thrown into the abyss.

"Oh...kay?" Kili wasn't sure how to respond to that.

"It's from the main lab where I sent Fili's tissue and blood samples." Oin elaborated as he picked up another piece of paper.

He had Kili's immediate attention at the mention of the samples that had been sent away so long ago. The day he’d handled the samples had been one of the worst days of his life, and he did his best not to think about it. He’d completely forgotten that Oin had sent them away to get tested. "So?" He asked, not bothering to beat around the bush.

Oin rather angry expression shifted immediately and he looked at Kili almost gleefully. "Well, it took so long because they've never seen samples taken from a live mermaid before." He explained as he leaned back in his chair. "Among all the ass kissing and brown nosing in that letter, they've requested I take more, but I don't believe I'll be doing that anytime soon." He crossed his arms and that annoyed frown returned. "I think they've forgotten they're talking about an actual living creature. They've been in their labs too long." He huffed.

Kili was glad that nobody would try to take samples from Fili again. The first samples had been taken while Fili had been unconscious. He knew that attempting it now would terrify the mer, and things were bad enough. "What did the samples tell them?"

"Just the basics. They have his DNA in their system now, but what they'll do with it, I have no idea. I'm a vet not a scientist. But we know he's disease free and while his organs weren't doing well at the time, things have improved since. And," Oin smiled then and looked at the paper he held in one hand, "now we know the approximate age of your mer." He turned the page around so Kili could see.

"He's not my mer." The brunet muttered as he took it, too excited to really care about the vet's smug smirk. His eyes scanned the sheet, practically going cross eyed upon seeing the graphs printed on the page. The data was in some kind of nerd language that he had no way of interpreting, but he did understand the neat 'APPROXIMATELY 60 YEARS' typed on one of the lines.

"Sixty." Kili took a breath and let it out slowly. He knew that Fili was older than he looked as mermaids aged differently, but to see it on paper was a little shocking. "He's older than you are." He began, not meaning the insult and immediately backtracking when he realized how it sounded. "Sorry - I just-"

"I'm under no illusions about my age, brat. And I've got a few more years before I'm as old as your mer." Oin snickered. "The lab compared their results with that of a human, and from what they can gather sixty years for a mer is comparable to around the mid to late twenties for humans, though another sample in a few years’ time would give them better information.”

Kili looked away from the page at that, a little wide eyed. "You mean...we're pretty much the same age." A wide grin began to form on his face at the thought.

"Some days I have to wonder because you both tend to act like children. But essentially, yes." Oin muttered the first part as if Kili wasn't supposed to hear it, but he didn't mind the jab at all. "Maybe that's why you get along with him."

That sobered Kili up and his grin disappeared. "Got along, you mean." He sighed mournfully as he looked over the paper once more to see if anything made sense. When nothing jumped out at him, he placed it back on Oin's desk, sure that it and all the other papers would make their way into Fili's file eventually.

The vet frowned, "I'm positive that this is just a minor setback. It had to be done, Kili. If we had waited for Fili to be ready, then we could have been waiting forever."

"It's not that." Kili shook his head, glancing toward the empty observation tank. It had been emptied of water and scrubbed well. Kili had even been the one to do most of the work since he'd had the time while Fili was hiding. "He's smart, and I _know_ he understood _why_ we had to move him even if he didn't like it." He looked back at the vet, "It's the _how_ we did it. I mean, you saw when I asked him to swim into the harness, and then he did. He not only understood what I wanted, but he did it because I _asked_." Kili's heart ached remembering the way the mer had clung to him while they were transporting him.

Fili had been through something like that before. What had gone through the mer's mind when he'd realized it was happening again? The sight of that tear streaked face and the way Fili had cowered would be something that Kili would regret forever. Would having asked to begin with changed things? Made things easier? Kili would never know now.

"I should have _asked_ him in the first place instead of manipulating him into eating those stupid grapes. Now he'll never trust me again, and he won't eat. He's going to die after everything just because I didn't fucking _ask_." The brunet growled as he glared at the empty tank. His eyes were burning again but he refused to let his tears fall. He was angry at himself, and honestly didn't think he had the right to them. "I'm no better than the scum that caught him in the first place."

Oin chuckled humourlessly. "You and I both know that's not true."

"Yeah, well. It feels like it." Kili knew he was being difficult, but he felt like a piece of utter shit.

"So that's it then?" Oin asked blandly, tone flat as he got up from his desk and began to straighten the papers on it. "Perhaps I'm being a little dramatic here, but God knows I wouldn’t be the only one. You don't give up for _weeks_ when the mermaid is practically at Death's door, and after exhausting all options, somehow you manage to do what nobody else has ever done before. You get this mermaid to eat for you, to survive for you." He began packing the test tubes inside their box. "And suddenly now, after a few days, you're just going to write him off as dead because he’s having a tantrum? I really don't understand, Kili." He shook his head and closed the box, stepping over to a cupboard to put them away.

Kili flushed at the disappointed tone being directed at him. He could stand anger but had never been comfortable disappointing people. "It's not as simple as before, though. I didn't have his trust at all. Now I've broken it. Even with humans that's hard to gain back, and you said yourself that mermaids hold grudges."

Oin closed the cupboard door and turned back to face Kili, leaning back on the counter. "They are known for it, and Fili certainly hasn't proven the opposite with the way he reacts to most of the staff." He admitted as he crossed his arms, taking off his glasses and pulling out a handkerchief to wipe at the lenses. "But it's not like you to give up so easily. You're as much a fighter as your mermaid." He managed a slight smile as he held the glasses up to the light and squinted at them to see if he'd gotten all the smudges.

"I just..." Kili began, wrinkling his nose when he didn't know how to continue. He didn't know if he wanted to continue. "I feel like I don't deserve Fili's trust anymore."

Oin snorted derisively at the suggestion as he slipped his glasses back on, "Poppycock." He frowned and narrowed his eyes at Kili, lights from above glinting on his lenses and making his expression a little more intense. "The worst thing you might have done - what we all might have done, is gone about the transfer the wrong way. We made a mistake. If Fili can't understand that, then mermaids must live in a perfect society that I'm envious of." He huffed out a breath.

Kili managed a smile because obviously that wasn't possible. "I _am_ being over dramatic, aren't I?" He asked sheepishly, scratching at the hair tickling the back of his neck. He hadn't realized how long it had grown but he couldn't be bothered to get it cut. He'd had a lot more important things on his mind.

"Perhaps, but you aren't the only one. The mood swings of mermaids are one of the things that remain constant in any readable source. Between moving him and the fact that Fili was already irritable and frustrated because of his small enclosure, having him hide away for a bit doesn't seem like a cause for alarm. He was at a healthy weight when we moved him, and after what we’ve seen him endure, a few days aren’t going to do any harm.”

Kili's shoulders sagged a little, though he wasn't sure if it was because he felt relief or because he felt kind of silly. "I overreact a lot." He admitted.

"That is the understatement of the century, but it seems to mostly be when it comes to Fili." Oin had not only been observing their residents, but apparently the staff too. "You're like a first time parent. Every little thing is magnified and made ten times worse than it is." His observations weren’t wrong either. The vet stepped forward and put his hands on both of Kili's shoulders, giving him a light shake. "But I have faith that you'll both make up eventually."

"And if he's decided I'm just as bad as everyone else?" Kili tried not to sound as dejected as the thought made him feel.

Oin's mouth pinched while his eyes narrowed and for a moment the brunet was sure he was going to get smacked across the back of the head. It was the same expression his mother sometimes wore beforehand, but it seemed like Oin had better self-control. "I very much doubt it. He has always reacted differently to you. Even while we were transferring him, he didn't growl or snap or try to bite you. He was upset, yes, but that doesn't equate to...well, disliking you as much as he does some of the staff."

_Disliking_ was certainly a nice way of saying _despising_ , but Oin had a point. Fili had growled at the vet when he'd had to check the mer's vitals, and he probably would have done more had he been able to. He hadn't shown any aggression toward Kili despite everything. In fact, he'd even sought Kili out for comfort. That lightened Kili's heart a little.

"Okay..." the brunet began, unsure where to go from there. "Where do I even start? He won't eat anything - not even grapes."

"Food is clearly going to get you nowhere." Oin moved back to his desk and sat down in his chair, leaning back in it. "You and I are both aware that he's an intelligent being, so I think it's best to try a different approach."

***

The sun glinted off the calm surface of Fili's tank, and though it was passed mid-day and approaching evening, the water that covered the tank's underwater platform was still warm. Kili had ventured down into the tank for the first time since the transfer, having stayed up on the observation deck in hopes of giving Fili the space he needed before now.

Clearly, staying away was getting them nowhere, so it was time to change that.

The brunet sat on the platform for about half an hour before finally shifting so he could spread out on his stomach, propping his head up with an elbow so he could keep his face above water. His clothes had long since soaked through, but he was used to that. He'd been thinking about what he'd wanted to say to Fili, having discussed things with Oin that afternoon. Expecting Fili to react to food like a common animal not only felt wrong, but was wrong. He was an intelligent being, so Kili would do what he had always done with the mer:  talk to him.

He looked into the depth of the water just over the ledge, wondering just where the mermaid was located beneath him. He had no doubt that Fili knew someone was there, and he probably knew it was Kili.

When nothing happened for a few quiet moments, he slid his left arm over the edge and let it hang beneath the surface, fingers gently churning the water. "Hey, Fili." He spoke gently, almost anticipating something touching his hand, wanting the mer to reach out somehow. He'd even take another warning nip like the one he'd received when Fili had been introduced to apples. "You doing okay under there?" He wondered, continuing to move his arm gently in the water.

He sighed when nothing happened and tried not to grow too disheartened. He'd waited once, he could do it again. He'd been prepared to squish himself onto a ladder rung for weeks to make up for the wetsuit, so he could do this too.

"I don't know if you've come out to take a look at your new home yet, but it's certainly bigger than the other place, isn't it?" He began, watching the little waves his movements were making. "And so much deeper - and you have a place to hide now...when you want to be alone." He tried to make light of that, as though Fili hadn't spent four days hiding already.

For a moment Kili felt like burying his face in the water and screaming so nobody could hear him, except he knew Fili would be able to and he didn't want that. Instead, he took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"I know you weren't ready, and maybe I should have tried to prepare you better, but we felt that you needed to be moved." He began quietly, unsure if the mer could hear or was even listening. Kili wondered if he was being given that angry expression Fili glared at everyone else with. Thinking that was almost enough to make him smile. "Everyone was worried about you, and it just seemed like the best time." He spread his fingers under the water before relaxing them again.

"I messed up." Kili stated bluntly, wanting Fili to know that Kili was well aware of that fact. "I promised no one would ever hurt you, and what the hell do I do?" He let out a self-deprecating snort, disgusted with himself. "It may not have been physically, but I know I did. I'm so sorry Fili. I'll never be able to say that enough. I betrayed your trust and that's sometimes worse than anything else. I should have told you about the grapes so you'd have been able to make the choice yourself. Nothing like that will happen again."

They'd taken away what little control Fili had had over himself. Kili couldn't imagine how scary it had been for the mer to go from excitement over something he enjoyed to fear and confusion because of the same thing that brought him joy.

"Promising it is pointless since I've broken my biggest promise to you already. Why should you trust my word now? But it won't happen again, and I'll spend forever proving it to you if I have to...if you let me." He stared at the water, willing Fili to at least understand and maybe give Kili a second chance - to at least give him the opportunity to gain back the friendship that had been growing between them. "But for me to do that, you have to be around for it. That means eating and not hiding anymore." He explained with a bit of a watery smile. "I only want you to be healthy and happy, Fili." He ended quietly, sniffing a little to clear his nose.

Kili fell silent for a long time with the only sounds being the gentle lapping of the water against the sides of the tank and the occasional seagull that could be heard nearby. Kili intended to stay for a bit longer before giving Fili his space once more, but when he was just about to get up he felt something barely brush against his wrist, making him still instantly. He’d felt the sensation often enough against his legs and feet to know that the source was Fili's hair floating about in the water and knew that meant the mer had moved closer.

Whether this meant he was going to get that warning nip now or not remained to be seen.

Bracing himself for the sharp sting and praying that he wasn't about to lose a finger, Kili held his breath and tried to keep his hand as relaxed as it had been only seconds before.

Instead of pain, another hand slid into his and fingers curled and gripped him tighter then they'd been able to before.

Tears of relief suddenly sprang to Kili's eyes unbidden, and a wide trembling smile appeared on his face. Having nothing else to say, Kili gently squeezed the hand in his. And then to his surprise and utter joy, the squeeze was returned.

And it felt like forgiveness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Linane's** [[photoset](http://linane-art.tumblr.com/post/158545515996/a-sign-of-trust-by-mylittledragonhoard-photoset)]  
>   
>  **Shabbyblog's art:**  
> [Fili, Kili and the Frog](http://shabby-blog.tumblr.com/post/162415024572/well-i-wasnt-expecting-to-get-this-finished)  
> [A Mer's Tail](http://shabby-blog.tumblr.com/post/161443154742/well-i-mucked-up-the-tail-last-time-and-i-just)  
> [Fili sharing food with Kili](http://shabby-blog.tumblr.com/post/164305811582/reupload-because-i-forgot-the-scars-the)


End file.
